Spanish government moves to address evangelical pension inequality

The Spanish Council of Ministers has approved a Royal Decree aimed at addressing a long-standing pension issue affecting evangelical pastors. Under the rule of Francisco Franco, evangelical ministers were excluded from the national social security system, preventing them from contributing to pensions until 1999. This exclusion left many retired ministers and their families without adequate financial support for their years of service.

The World Evangelical Alliance has expressed cautious support for the decree, viewing it as a step toward rectifying a historical injustice. However, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities in Spain (FEREDE) argues that the current proposal is insufficient. FEREDE officials contend that the requirement for pastors and widows to pay the capital cost contributions for the years they were previously barred from the system is unfair. They are calling for further dialogue with the government to improve the terms and provide meaningful moral reparation for the affected families. While approximately 700 of the 1,200 impacted pastors have already reached retirement age, representatives continue to seek adjustments to the decree before it is fully implemented.