wfn.org | ALC News Service ALCNoticias 29 Feb 2004

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ALC NEWS SERVICE
E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org

ALC HEADLINES:
ARGENTINA: Studies about religious freedom in Argentina
BRAZIL: Brazilian missionary murdered in Mozambique
NICARAGUA: Evangelicals support Lopez as candidate for human rights attorney
SPAIN: Spanish Protestants denounce discrimination before European Parliament
PERU: CONEP Assembly emphasizes its presence in society and elects a new
board

ARGENTINA
Studies about religious freedom in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, February 25, 2004 (alc). The limited bibliography about the 
legal aspects of religious freedom in Argentina sparked interest in the 
Argentine Council for Religious Freedoms (CALIR) initiative to publish a 
volume containing a series of studies about the issue in the country.

Religious freedom in Argentina. Contributions for legislation, contains 
work from different specialists, including individuals from different 
confessions, all of who provide elements for a discussion about religious 
freedom in Argentina and many other countries.

According to the analysts, while the subject has been extensively written 
about in other countries it has barely been touched on in Argentina. In the 
legal arena, the issue has been nearly exclusively studied from a 
perspective of institutional Church-State relations, in particular 
relations with the Catholic Church.

The volume begins with an introduction by Constitutionalist Pedro J. Frias, 
which is followed by a panoramic vision of inter-religious dialogue by 
Angel M. Centeno, who at the request of President Arturo Frondizi worked on 
drafting the Concordat with the Holy See signed in 1966 and was also 
Secretary of Worship in the decade of the 1990s.

The panorama is further developed by Norberto Padilla, Worship Secretary 
under President Fernando de la Rua, who writes about the history of the 
Argentine nation, summarizing the development of religious freedom.

Jorge Gentile then looks at the constitutional framework and offers a 
review of the international context. The work concludes with a reference to 
Catholic doctrine, developed by Roberto Boscal who studied the evolution of 
religious freedom through the teaching of the Catholic Church.

The cited authors are of Catholic extraction, although they each form part 
of the different internal currents of their confession of origin. Then Razl 
Scialabba, from a Baptist perspective, Susana El Kadri de Hallar, from the 
Islamic religion and Mario Ringler from Judaism, offer a broad 
inter-confessional perspective.

Moreover, Hilario Wynarczyk, in a sociological approach, refers to the 
Evangelical and Pentecostal confessions, with their main confederations of 
Churches and traces a panorama of the perceptions of the Evangelicals 
regarding the regulation of the worship law in Argentina.

Ricardo Docampo centers his focus on a legal project about religious 
freedom, elaborated by the Advisor to the Secretary of Worship in the year 
2000. Juan Navarro Floria also focuses on this, referring to the juridical 
analysis of the proposal.

The studies are complemented by a valuable documentary appendix that 
includes three reports about the state of religious freedom in Argentina, 
by the Special UN Rapporteur on religious freedom, International Religious 
Freedom and the US State department.

The volume culminates with the complete text of the draft law on religious 
freedom, developed by the CALIR members during their stint in public 
management, as advisors to the Secretary of Worship. This book will allow 
the reader to have a grasp on the state of the Argentine worship law from a 
practical point of view.

The text, produced by CALIR experts, was edited by the Konrad Adenauer 
foundation last December in order to contribute to the democratic 
construction process in Argentine Society.

BRAZIL
Brazilian missionary murdered in Mozambique

By Edelberto Behs
PORTO ALEGRE, February 26, 2004 (alc). Lutheran missionary Doraci Edinger, 
from the Evangelical Lutheran Confession of Brazil (IECLB), was tragically 
murdered in the city of Nampula, 700 kms north of Maputo.

The body of the 53-year-old missionary was found Feb. 23 in her apartment, 
although the murder, which has not yet been clarified by local police, most 
likely took place on Feb. 21. Doraci Edinger traveled to work with the 
Lutheran Church of Mozambique in July 1998 with the support of the Lutheran 
World Federation and was well liked by local congregations.

On more than one occasion, Doraci had expressed concern about her safety 
given the nature of the work she did. The IECLB had authorized her to 
return to Brazil but she preferred to stay and continue her work with poor 
people from Moma.

At the end of last year, Brazilian Catholic missionary Maria Elilda dos 
Santos had denounced international organ trafficking in the province. She 
presented a dossier to the Human Rights League in the country that referred 
to groups of people who allegedly kill poor children in order to sell their 
organs.

The first case investigated by Sister Maria Elilda was a 12-year-old girl 
who disappeared in October 2002. Her body was found with no heart, lungs or 
kidneys. The police were notified but failed to carry out any 
investigations. The body was buried and the case was filed.

Maria Elilda and five children threatened with death had to seek refuge in 
the Nampula monastery. Once she was sure the children were out of danger, 
she returned to Brazil at the beginning of this year. The hypothesis that 
the group, allegedly involved in organ trafficking, had something to do 
with the murder of Doraci has not been ruled out.

Pastor president of the IECLB, Walter Altmann will travel to Nampula 
tomorrow in order to carry out the necessary paperwork to take Doracis 
remains back to Brazil. He received the news of her murder while he was in 
Geneva participating in the Lutheran World Federation Executive Council 
meeting Feb. 21-23.

According to his original itinerary, Altmann was to travel to Maputo on Feb 
25 to participate in Beira Feb. 26-27 in a group meeting to support the 
Lutheran Church of Mozambique.	However, he arrived in Beira on Feb. 24.

A second autopsy was held on Wednesday, although the police did not reveal 
the results. Doracis body is currently in the Central Nampula Hospital and 
should be transferred to a military institution with a cold chamber where 
it will remain until it is transferred to Brazil.

Since Doraci arrived in Nampula, the small Lutheran Church of Mozambique 
doubled in number, growing to more than 3,000 people. In the neighboring 
province of Cabo Delgado alone, where she helped found several 
congregations, more than 800 people were baptized in one weekend.

Under the leadership of Sister Doraci, schools and health center were built 
in the rural villages in the municipality of Moma. She helped build wells, 
guaranteeing potable water for the region. She also encouraged the 
self-maintenance of rural villages, introducing crops and distributing seeds.

She promoted seminars on health, hygiene and nutrition. She helped people 
obtain tools for agriculture. She taught people the Gospel and obtained 
Bibles and material for Sunday school.

She was born May 13, 1950 in Santo Antonio da Patrulha, in the state of Rio 
Grande do Sul. At age 18 she moved with her parents to Novo Hamburgo, where 
her family lives today. She worked at a cobblers and eight years later 
decided to become a Lutheran missionary.

The Edinger family, parents and 11 children, have received condolences from 
the Evangelical Community of Canudos in Novo Hamburgo.

In the midst of the sadness of her missionary sisters and the pain of 
colleagues and relatives people gave thanks for Doracis life and the work 
she carried out in Mozambique.

NICARAGUA
Evangelicals support Lopez as candidate for human rights attorney

By Trinidad Vasquez
MANAGUA, February 27, 2004 (alc). The board of the National Council of 
Evangelical Pastors of Nicaragua (CNPEN) and 500 pastors and leaders from 
different denominations across the country, attended an assembly this 
Wednesday and supported Carlos Emilio Lopez, a pre-candidate as Nicaraguas 
Human Rights Defense Attorney (PPDH).

Lopez introduced himself as a graduate of the Central American Biblical 
Institute. He added that he participated in the Christian Youth Association 
and was a youth pastor with the Evangelical Pro Denominational Alliance 
Council of Churches (CEPAD). He affirmed his vocation to obey Christs call 
to serve others in the defense of human rights.

Lopez, who is also a member of the Central American Church Fraternity and 
currently is the special prosecutor for the Defense of Children and 
Adolescents, committed himself to defending the lay state, established in 
Nicaraguas Constitution

He told ALC that if elected he will launch a crusade in defense of human 
rights, without distinguishing on political, religious, ethnic or gender 
terms. I will struggle for womens rights and to put an end to violence 
against women and children, he said.  He also promised to promote farmers 
rights so that they have access to credit, technology and to commercialize 
their crops.

Lopez hopes to be elected next May when the current Human Rights Defense 
Attorney, Benjamin Perez, finishes his term. He noted that he also has the 
support of some Catholic priests and has received support from the 
Apostolar Cristiano Center, from Pastor Cesar Augusto Marenco and many 
Baptist and Nazarene Churches as well as from journalists.

The new attorney must be elected with a minimum of 56 votes in the National 
Assembly and my aspiration is to be elected by consensus, he said. Lopez, a 
former Evangelical youth leader with a degree in sociology and law, is 
currently the only candidate although extra-officially Lino Hernandez has 
been mentioned as a possibility.

SPAIN
Spanish Protestants denounce discrimination before European Parliament

MADRID, February 27, 2004 (alc). In a letter sent to the European 
Parliament and to Spanish parliamentary groups, as well as to international 
institutions, Spanish evangelicals denounced the alarming lack of religious 
neutrality on the part of the Spanish government.

The Federation of Religious Evangelical Entities of Spain (FEREDE) draws 
attention to the inequality and discrimination that Protestants suffer in 
the country and calls for international support to lobby parliament and the 
government that emerges from next March 14 elections, to rectify the 
discriminatory policy against religious minorities.

The FEREDE represents more than 800,000 Evangelical Christians grouped 
together in more than 2,000 Churches in the country.

According to Protestants, the discrimination affecting religious minorities 
in Spain for centuries has yet to be fully resolved by any democratic 
government. They say it is unfortunate that none of the electoral programs 
presented by political parties for upcoming elections address the issue of 
religious equality and neutrality.

Mariano Blazquez Executive secretary and legal representative of FEREDE 
said that after 25 years of constitutional period very few things have 
improved in the religious freedom scenario in our country.

He mentioned the limited right to demonstrate in public spaces, difficult 
access to public centers for religious activities and the fact that 
Protestant Churches are not granted the same tax exemptions as the Catholic 
Church.

Moreover, the State budget only contemplates the Catholic Church. These 
benefits are not conceded to other confessions under the argument that it 
is a transitory situation.

The document also said that Protestant organizations have difficulties 
obtaining public soil to build places of worship, in flagrant contrast to 
the habitual practice of offering or conceding public municipal land to the 
Catholic Church.

It also denounced the identification of public institutions with Catholic 
worship, which violates the principle of State neutrality.

Blazquez emphasized the limited or null development of what is established 
in the general regulations on Religious Freedom or in the Cooperation 
Agreements, something that implies a lack of recognition of religious 
plurality and two kinds of citizens: The first, with privileges, the 
second, that do not enjoy full fundamental rights.

PERU
CONEP Assembly emphasizes its presence in society and elects a new board

CHICLAYO, February 27, 2004 (alc). The Annual Assembly of the National 
Evangelical Council of Peru (CONEP) was held in this city 750 kilometers 
north of Lima Feb. 24-25. The current national vice superintendent of the 
Assemblies of God, 47-year-old Pastor Carlos Jara, was elected president.

After his election, Jara emphasized the need to strengthen CONEPs unity as 
the body representing Perus second largest religious majority and said he 
would seek to ensure that CONEPs work in the public arena continued. A 
total of 31 delegates attended the assembly, representing 18 full members 
and 5 associate bodies. Many delegates were not able to travel to Chiclayo 
due to a transport strike.

In its annual report, the board emphasized CONEPs presence in the public 
arena and underlined that state bodies and civil society consider it an 
important reference.

CONEP participates in the Working Group to Combat Poverty, the National 
Accord, alongside representatives from political parties, unions and other 
civil society groups, it participates in the National Human Rights Council, 
in the National Education Forum, in the Special Commission on Justice 
Administration Reform and the National Environmental Council.

At the same time it has a close relationship with civil society 
institutions such as Transparency, the Educational Forum, the Coalition for 
Democracy and the Catholic Churchs Bishops Social Action Commission.

This broad range of relationships legitimizes its presence on the national 
front and helps consolidate the public face of the entity that represents a 
significant majority of the Evangelical communion, the report said.

The document mentions that a significant achievement regarding religious 
equality was the establishment of the Inter-Confessional Affairs Board in 
the Justice Ministry, which is responsible for the Registry of non-Catholic 
Confessions.

On the Church front, it emphasized the relationship with other Christian 
bodies such as the Inter-Confessional Committee, which includes 
representatives from the Jewish Community and from the Anglican, Methodist, 
Lutheran, Presbyterian, Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

During the Assembly, one sector of delegates proposed prioritizing the 
relationship with Evangelical Churches and expressed a certain lack of 
agreement with the emphasis that has been placed on social and political 
themes.

Some representatives said it is important to be careful about the influence 
of charismatic currents in the Evangelical world and to be alert to the 
penetration of ecumenism. In this sense, some delegates proposed that CONEP 
withdraw from the Inter-Confessional Committee. However, other delegates 
pointed out that the public affirmation of the council requires an open 
institutionalism and means being present in different inter-institutional 
forums.

They agreed to hold an extraordinary assembly next May to discuss the 
institutional redesign of CONEP, based on a document elaborated by an ad 
hoc commission appointed by the General Assembly in 2003.

Some Evangelical analysts emphasized the importance of the Pentecostal 
presence in the new board, which includes leaders from the Assemblies of 
God, the Evangelical Pentecostal Church and the Church of God. With this, 
they said, CONEP will be strengthened from a Church point of view. However, 
they expressed concern that CONEPs public presence may not be consolidated.

Pastor Dario Lopez, a member of the Church of God of Peru and former 
president of CONEP was elected vice president.

The board also includes Pastors Rodrigo Espinoza, current national 
superintendent of the Assemblies of God; Manuel Benito, of the Evangelical 
Pentecostal Church; Nelson Ayllsn,  of World Presbyterian 
Missions;  Alberto Zamora, of the Evangelical Church of the 
Nazarene,  Alonso Rammrez, of the Presbyterian Evangelical Church, as well 
as Rodrigo Maslucan and Professor Pedro Merino, both from the Evangelical 
Presbyterian and Reformed Church.

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