wfn.org | ACNS Spain's Anglicans Celebrate Milestone in Salamanca

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

ACNS 4072     |     SPAIN     |     11 NOVEMBER 2005

Photographs for this article are available here:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/40/50/acns4072.cfm

Spain's Anglicans Celebrate Milestone in Salamanca

New Anglican Centre opens honouring a priest martyr

The memory of the slain priest, the Revd Atilano Coco, murdered by
General Franco as he seized Salamanca during the civil war, is honoured
in the new Anglican Centre in the historic city, opened last weekend.

A spacious well equipped conference facility, with modern accommodation
for 50 persons, catering and a chapel, awaits those coming to use this
new resource centre for the Communion. Bishop Carlos Lopez-Lozano, said,
"Our church wants this to be a place for pilgrims, students and to serve
the wider church, and especially the Anglican Communion."

The work is the result of the vision of 43 year old Bishop in Spain who
wants the centre to be "ecumenical and global".

The Spanish Episcopal Church, like the Lusitanian Church of Portugal and
the Diocese in Europe of the Church of England, has been celebrating
various anniversaries. Spain is marking the 125th anniversary of the
consecration of their first bishop and indeed the 10th anniversary of
their current diocesan bishop. The church is extra-provincial to the
Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent a special greeting to those assembled
in Salamanca for the inauguration ceremony.

At the celebration Prof D Patrocinio Rios gave a stirring and emotional
packed address on the witness of Atilano Coco, remembering the
"outspoken" priest's zeal for education and the welfare of the people in
his city. Non-Roman Catholics were simply not tolerated and Dr Coco gave
the ultimate sacrifice.

The Latino Community from the cathedral in Madrid led music for the
service in the new chapel, given by the Presiding Bishop and Primate of
the Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Frank Griswold, in memory of those
killed in the recent Madrid bombings A presentation on behalf of the
Anglican Communion was made by Canon Jim Rosenthal, who is an honorary
canon of the cathedral. Te Deum was sung enthusiastically by the
congregation as Bishop Carlos declared the centre open.

Co-operation with the University of Salamanca, the oldest university in
Europe, and the Pontifical University is good, and the center can
provide affordable housing for students as well as visitors. Special
programmes allow discounts for people using the centre in university
programmes. Spanish languages courses come in one month, three month and
one year offerings, all at discounted rates.

The rooms for the centre are named for patrons of the Centre. Included
are rooms called Compass Rose Society, Christ Church Ponte Vedre Beach,
USA, Truro Church, USA, the Diocese of Los Angeles USA, Bishop Henry
Scriven, and many more.

Like the Anglican Centre in Rome and St George's College, Jerusalem, the
new centre can be a place of encounter in a territory and tradition
unknown to many.

An interview with Bishop Carlos will appear in the New Years Anglican
World.

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