Catholics and Public Life Congress extols the faith that unites Spain and the Americas

With the aim of "living up to our heritage and fostering its growth,” next month’s Catholics and Public Life Congress in Madrid, Spain, aims to exalt the legacy of “ Hispanidad,” a term for the faith-based civilization and union between Spain and the Americas that was first championed by Queen Isabella (1451–1504).

The theme for this year’s Nov. 13–15 congress is “The Americas and Spain: The Faith That Unites Us — A Round-Trip Journey,” and features a joint statement on the subject titled “ Manifesto for Hispanidad .”

The text highlights the institutions that emerged from the Spanish enterprise in the Americas such as municipalities, universities, parishes, and hospitals, which “no international treaty has managed to replicate.”

“None of this is artificial. None of this needs to be invented. It simply needs to be recognized and put at the service of the future,” the manifesto proclaims.

“Isabella the Catholic Monarch did not set a mere promise in motion; she set a civilization in motion,” the manifesto continues. Isabella and her husband, King Ferdinand, were given the title “the Catholic Monarchs” by Pope Alexander VI through the papal bull Si Convenit for their defense…