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ARCHIVED - Catholic Church in Spain condemns gay conversion therapy for first time
However, the biggest proponent of ‘gay therapy’, the ex-bishop who shacked up with a Satanist, is still being paid a salary
The Catholic Church in Spain has publicly condemned “conversion therapies” for homosexuals, which were vociferously espoused by the ex-Bishop of Solsona, Xavier Novell. The controversial Novell resigned his post recently to start a new life as an engineer, living with his divorced partner who writes satanic, erotic fiction.
At the Spanish Bishops’ Conference 2021, Church leaders stated, “we do not approve of any conversion therapy… we have no authority to speak of therapies.” This is the first condemnation of its type, and comes in the same week the Pope was lambasted by rightwing Spanish politicians for apologising for the Church’s role in violently evangelising and conquering Mexico.
The reason behind the sudden resignation of Novell, who was reportedly offered an exorcism by the Pope himself but turned it down, are still shrouded in mystery but Church spokesman Luis Argüello suggested at the conference that it may have had something to do with “some crisis of faith, affection or exercise of the ministry” with regards to gay conversion therapies. At the same time, he confirmed that since Novell is still bishop emeritus and has not yet been granted secularisation, the Church continues to send him his salary.
The Catholic Church on abortion and child abuse
Meanwhile, the Church took the opportunity to address other issues such as abortion and sexual abuse scandals. Reiterating their opposition to abortion in the wake of new plans to make abortions available to 16- and 17-year-olds and calls to make it illegal to pray in front of abortion clinics, Father Argüello said it was “worrying that the interruption of a life is considered progress, and that it is considered not conservative, but ultra-conservative, to oppose abortion, and that it is super-progressive to defend the wolf, or the green hoopoe, or stork’s eggs, whose nests cannot be dismantled because they are a protected species. How can human life not be considered a protected species?”
Finally, questioned about the case of the late hymnwriter Father Cesáreo Gabaráin, who has been accused of child molestation, and the possibility of banning his songs at mass, Father Argüello called it “a condemnation typical of medieval times… It would be good if we could make a distinction: to say that this person’s musical work is tainted by what he may have said or done seems to me to be an exaggeration. His songs will have to be valued for their musical quality, for what they may say or mean.”
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