Excellent article! I just got back from Spain, where I saw a wonderful exhibit (Las Edades del Hombre) of treasures from medieval and later churches. The exhibit is sponsored by the dioceses of Castilla y Leon, and focuses on a different part of the region every two years. When you see the beauty that these “backward” medieval folk produced...
His point about “reformers” is true. They always tend to a sort of puritanical, harsh view of life, where art and music are suppressed and usually where women have to go back and put on tons of clothing. This is just as true of the Protestant “reformers” as it was of Mohammed, who saw himself reforming local religious practices with his purer vison.
Welcome back! I have a thousand questions about the mood amongst Catholics in Spain, especially with the upcoming Youth Day.
As to your comment, I'll bet we can both name an extremist Catholic group that fits the above description.