The owner of an esoteric shop and unnamed others have applied to the Ministry of Justice to register Wicca as a religion and themselves as sole priests and priestesses of that religion, with rules which include that none others may be a member of their ruling council for a period of 20 years and other rules which you can read below, by the kind translation of a concerned Spanish acquaintance. They also name themselves as sole founders of Wicca as a religion, with plans to expand internationally in the future. There are 63 articles of faith and regulations in a document which purports to be a Book of Shadows. Only the most pertinent have been translated below. The Ministry of Justice has to consider the application and there is a period of time to receive objections.
Your comments are invited on my wall. Or to the email of the man attempting to register, he includes his email and normal address in the document.
PRESS NOTE
WITCHCRAFT REGISTERED AS RELIGION IN SPAIN
Madrid, 21st of July 2011
The European Old Religion, Witchcraft, has started the steps for its registration as a Religious Belief in Spain.
The Wicca Religion, as the heir and custodian of much of the religious memory and traditions of Witchcraft, Paganism and the pre-Christian cults, understanding that it meets all the needed requirements, has applied to the Registry of Religious Entities, with date 21/07/2011, for its inclusion on the Registry of the Spanish Ministry of Justice, for its legalization as a Religious Entity.
Thus, 1631 years after the promulgation of the Edict of Thessalonica, which claimed the Abolition of Religious Freedom in the entire Roman Empire and, by extension, their fiefdoms and Colonies, and which would serve serve as a basis on which to base the abrogation of all rights of cult and freedom of conscience and the submission to a single religion in the geographical areas of Europe and the Mediterranean, until the second half of this century, people who by tradition and / or conviction remain or feel affected by pre-Christian religions and cults that developed during the era of persecution, we understand that now is the time and the opportunity protected by the International Right of Freedom of Worship, of legitimizing and protecting, publicly and administratively, the traditions and beliefs of people and their rights, distort the pejorative use of terms such as “paganism” and “witchcraft” and restore social dignity and the respect to a Religious Faith abused by Power and other major religions for centuries.
Now, 1631 years after those words that would mean the cultural decapitation of the diversity of beliefs, we want to retain them in our memory to remember and learn from our mistakes and to keep it as a lesson and let it instruct our steps in, what we believe, must be be our public action: to restore the proper dignity to a Collective massacred by superstition and ignorance …
“We want all people who are governed by the administration of our clemency to profess the religion that the divine Apostle Peter gave the Romans, which until now has been preached as he preached, and it is clear that the Pontiff Damasus and Bishop of Alexandria, Peter, a man of apostolic holiness, profess. That is, according to the apostolic doctrine and the evangelical doctrine, we believe in the sole divinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit under the concept of equal majesty and of the pious Trinity. We name Catholic Christians who follow this rule, while we judge others as insane and crazy, and on them will fall the weigh of the infamy of heresy. Their meeting places shall not receive the name of churches; will be, first of God’s vengeance, and then be punished by our own initiative, that we take following the will of heaven. “On the third day of the Kalends of March in Thessaloniki at the Augusto fifth consulship of Gratian and Theodosius first Augustus. (Emperor Theodosius. Edict of Thessaloniki, February 28, 380 Common Era).
In short, 1631 years after the Dark Ages women and men who profess the Wicca religion, understanding that we have an obligation not to hide any longer and make ourselves visible to a society that largely ignores our existence as the only way to enforce our rights, protect our interests and support the faith and their worshippers in the normal religious development of our own, are pleased to let you know the transcendental step we have taken.
En fecha ut supra,
Fernando González
Wiccan Council
Contact: Fernando González
Tel.(Mob.): (34) 660078937
E-Mail: religion_wicca@hotmail.com
