Evangelical Temples Rush
To Complete Upgrades
Required by Law
Some 1.500 Evangelical
temples around the
country are scurrying
since last July to
comply with the
Reglamento para el
Funcionamiento de
Templos o Locales de
Culto, decreed by the
Ministerio de Salud, of
face being shut down.
The Ministerio de Salud
(Health ministry) issued
the order last year to
ensure that the
thousands of faithful
who flock to the temples
are guaranteed safety.
Some of the changes
required under the
Health order are the
installation of fire
extinguishers, a direct
exit to a public street
and emergency lighting.
The ministra de Salud,
María Luisa Ávila Agüero,
said that the temples
are getting themselves
in order after much
pressure by her ministry
over the last couple of
years.
The situation came to a
head in 2005 when the
Health ministry decided
to close down all the
Evangelical temples that
did not comply and ended
in dialogue when
legislator, Carlos
Avendaño, scaled the
Monumento Nacional in
the centre of the Zapote
rotonda, to protest the
Health minister's
action.
Minister Avila said that
dialogue has been the
order of the day and
that the temples saw the
importance of security
for the faithful
visiting the temples,
"The message was
understood. They put an
important group of
people to work", said
Avila who showed her
pleasure with the
progress.
The changes have also
been of interest to the
Catholic church, where
representatives of the
Curia Metropolitana have
been meeting with the
Health minister, so as
to ensure that their
churches also meet all
the requirements under
the Reglamento. |
|
