D. Jorge Ortiga

The rising confrontation between Church and State that is now gaining form in the country represents the typical way the Church has served the cause of freedom throughout the ages.

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In Portugal's mostly Catholic tradition the Church is the only institution which can effectivelly put a check on the expansion in the powers of government. By contrast, in mostly protestant countries public opinion can do this job reasonably well.

This week D. Jorge Ortiga, President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, said that the Government is becoming militantly atheistic. This is probably an exaggeration. The point, though, is that the Church is clearly on the offensive fed up over recent years with such issues as abortion, the Concordat, religious assistance in hospitals, homossexuality and most recently, divorce laws.

My view is that the people who genuinely value the cause of freedom should side with the Church against Government. I believe too that over the longer run they will be on the winning side.