Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, has been elected today head of the Spanish Catholic Church, the outgoing leader, Ricardo Blazquez, will be vice-president.
Rouco Varela, the leader of the ultra-conservative section of the Catholic Church in Spain is well known across the country for his opposition to the Zapatero government as well as most of its social reforms including gay marriages, abortion law, citizen's education, peace process and stem-cell research. Ricardo Blazquez, a moderate, beat Rouco Varela for the leadership in 2005 by just one vote but hasn't been able to hold to the position after the further radicalisation of the Church in the last four years.
This latest development should make Zapatero rethink his original position and start a review of the State-Church pact. Spain deserves a more inclusive Catholic leadership than the one just elected.
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