The Spanish Catholic Church has moved to the right with the election of Antonio María Rouco Varela, the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, as the president of Bishops in the country. He replaces the more liberal Ricardo Blázquez who had tried to defend the use of dialogue to resolve current conflicts with the Government.
There were only two votes in difference, 39 to 37, between the candidates and the outcome shows that the Bishops have broken with the unwritten tradition of not choosing a president for a second term.
The triumph of Rouco and the right wing of the Church means that we can expect a firmer position against the Socialist Government.
Ricardo Blázquez was elected as Vice President.
Rouco was defeated by Blázquez by just one vote three years ago.
He returns to power as a harsh critic of some of the new legislation brought in by the Zapatero administration, such as quickie divorce and gay marriage and against the government’s promotion of laicism.
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