The Churches in Spain The report of the six Anglican
and Free Churchmen, including the Deans of Chichester and Rochester, who have visited Spain this month to try to discover the facts regarding the position of the Churches in the area under Government control is a restrained and convincing document. Any conclusions reached on the basis of a fortnight's visit to three principal centres (Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona) must be tentative, but good evidence is quoted for the dictum that "there is a strong anti-clerical movement, but not an anti-God movement, in Spain " ; the author of that statement being described as an acute English observer (living in Spain) who is himself a practising Roman Catholic. It is unquestionably true that mob violence has been respon- sible for foul crimes against Catholic clergy, and many churches have been burned ; but some, it is clear, had been actually used as arsenals or vantage-points by the anti- Government forces. That the Church is identified in the popular mind with the great landowners, and both with reaction generally, is a commonplace, but the enthusiasm with which the Basque Catholics are supporting the Govern- ment is a fact of which account must be taken. War is war, and what is of most concern now is the attitude of the Republican Government, if it emerges victorious, towards the Church in the future. The British delegation believes that if the Catholic Church in Spain would frankly and sincerely separate the practice of religion from improper political activity toleration would be assured. But that no doubt depends on which elements in the Government coalition finally prevail. Protestant Christians are unmolested. * * * *
