In previous years the Spanish government refused to permit the Witnesses to hold meetings for Bible study or to carry on their public preaching activities. They suffered harassment, confiscation of belongings, physical abuse, unjust imprisonment and many other indignities, especially fomented by the Catholic clergy.

Despite this opposition, however, the Christian witnesses of Jehovah in Spain kept speaking to their neighbors about the ‘good news of God’s kingdom,’ in imitation of Jesus Christ. (Luke 8:1) They firmly believed that many inhabitants of this country earnestly desired to know accurately about God and to do his will. The results of their determined efforts to preach in predominantly Catholic Spain are heartwarming.

“GREAT EXPANSION” DESPITE OPPOSITION

A report published in the 1949 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses revealed only 34 Witnesses active in Spain at that time. The report noted, however, that they were determined to “continue, by the Lord’s grace, to sing Jehovah’s praises. They are anxious to share in the great expansion program.”

And they did so. At the close of 1958, there were, on an average, 894 of Jehovah’s witnesses in Spain. The following year the Spanish Minister of the Interior issued a series of circulars ordering the complete extirpation of the Christian work of Jehovah’s witnesses in that country. This led to a rash of fines, imprisonments and other terrorism. Nevertheless, the number of Witnesses continued to grow, reaching 4,302 by the end of 1966. Further expansion went on during all the years of governmental ban on their activity.

STILL SOME OPPOSITION

Though Jehovah’s witnesses are now legally recognized in Spain, opposition still occurs at times, especially in small towns and villages. For example, an elderly couple were distributing Bible tracts in the town of La Calahorra, Granada. A priest came out onto the street and challenged them, shouting so that onlooking parishioners could hear. Then a gang of children showed up, shouting: “Out with the demons! Get out of town!”

The couple, therefore, left the area for the time being, but returned the following day to finish their tract distribution without further incident. They noted: “We recognized that the children acted out of ignorance and were not to blame.”

Recently in Las Cuevas de Fátima, Granada, a priest struck one of Jehovah’s witnesses and stirred up a mob against him. Both Catholic and Protestant clergymen continually publish books, booklets and articles in an effort to counteract the work done by Jehovah’s witnesses.