Madrid, 14 (NE) Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, reaffirmed in recent declarations the rejection of the Catholic Church in Spain to the "culture of death." Recalling the distribution of the abortive pill 'RU-486', which began last week in Spanish hospitals, the Cardinal encouraged that there be "a reaction of many social groups to begin to recognize the wickedness" of all pro-abortion legislation and abortion techniques.

    Underlining the graveness of attempting against an innocent and defenseless life and the violation of the human dignity that it supposes, he reminded that abortion is a sin "reserved to the ordinary," that is to say, that its absolution can only be administrated by the bishop or whomever he designates. He also remembered the value of repentance and the necessity of reconciling, for which this Holy Year presents itself as a providential opportunity.

    Regarding this issue, Madrid's ABC daily interviewed several Spanish bishops, who pointed out that "the position of the Church in Spain regarding the defense of life -in accordance with the Magisterium of the Universal Church- either of that unborn or that of a terminally ill person, has not changed." Therefore, "all the declarations of bishops or Episcopal statements concerning this matter should be seen in harmony with the documents approved by the Spanish Bishops' Conference, and with the sentence of the Supreme Court of 1985, in favor of the right of the unborn to be protected by law."

    Meanwhile it was announced that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, will attend this week in Madrid a congress organized to reflect about Pope John Paul II' encyclical "Fides et ratio". The International Theological congress will be carried out in the Council Seminar of Madrid from the 16th to the 18th of this month. Cardinal Ratzinger will give a conference on "Faith, truth and culture," to take place Wednesday evening. The Cardinal's conference will be held in the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions of Madrid, and will be open to the public in general.

    The congress of theology, directed mainly to philosophers and theologians, expects to gather more than 300 professors and experts coming mainly from Germany, Italy, United States, France, Mexico and different countries of South America and Africa. As members of the organization committee announced, the congress will aim to deepen into the relation between Christian faith and reason in the light of Pope John Paul II' the last encyclical, published in October 15, 1998. The Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco, will close the event on the 18th of February.