THE RE-RECONQUISTA:

The Battle of the 'Theocons': The Spanish go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament -- and the country's Catholics are fighting to push the conservatives back into office. Zapatero's reforms have been a thorn in the Church's side. Madrid's archbishop is leading the fight against abortion, gay marriage and other policies. (Helene Zuber, 3/06/08, Der Spiegel)

A short man in a black habit and a little bright red cap is currently Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's most feared rival. He's the archbishop of Madrid, and he is laying claim to more than just his sway over the souls of the diminishing number of devout Catholics in the churches of the Spanish capital. He is Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, 71, and he is determined to force politics in Spain under the yoke of the church once again.

When Rouco makes an appearance in Spain, it's an almost God-like spectacle -- he performed the crown prince's marriage ceremony with a generous helping of churchly pomp and circumstance, and he routinely baptizes the children of the royal family. He sparkled when he played host to former Pope John Paul II, who had earlier admitted him into the College of Cardinals. And he recently received a show of support, in the form of a live broadcast beamed from the Vatican directly to Spanish voters, from his friend Pope Benedict XVI -- payback for his leadership in the church's opposition to the socialist government.

On Tuesday, Ruoco was easily reelected as head of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, a position he has held twice before, between 1999 and 2005. Zapatero sent him a hasty congratulatory telegram, in which he expressed his hope for "dialogue and cooperation" between the church and the government. But if Spain's most influential religious leader has his way, there will be none of that. Instead, Zapatero and his Socialists will lose the parliamentary elections on Sunday, and the conservatives and Rouco alike will return to power.

Rouco's address to 50 bishops, two cardinals, the leaders of Catholic organizations and thousands of parents and children, who had come together for a "Celebration of the Family" on Plaza de Colon in the heart of Madrid a few weeks ago, sounded like a declaration of war. He said that it troubles the church to realize that Spanish laws have "slipped behind the United Nations human rights declaration." In conclusion, the cardinal demanded nothing less than a completely new "legal civilization."