From 2016, foreigners will not be able to get married in the Church in Lanzarote. This has been the decision taken by the Bishopric of the Canary Islands, which has put the island's businessmen 'on a war footing' and mobilized the institutions. The president of the Cabildo himself, together with the mayors of some municipalities, sent a letter to the Church about two months ago asking it to reconsider the decision. Now, businessmen are asking to "find a solution" to avoid it, stressing the large amount of income that these events bring to the island.
"It is one of Lanzarote's sources of income. We are talking about millions of euros, more than one flight a week, imagine the damage this is going to generate to the island," says a member of the board of directors of Aetur. Precisely, this employers' association has requested this Monday a meeting with the Cabildo of Lanzarote, with the intention that the institution intercede and mediate with the Church to "find a solution". "We need to know what position the Cabildo is taking, which is our highest-ranking body on the island. When the Cabildo takes a position, we will know whether we go together or independently as an employers' association," he explains.
In any case, at least from Aetur they are clear that they will continue to try to find an alternative. On the other hand, this association of businessmen is also managing a meeting with the Bishopric, "to transmit our complaints and, above all, to find a solution", they point out.
"It's a mistake and madness"
According to this Aetur executive, the ecclesiastical decision is due to the fact that the links of foreigners involve a lot of work for the island's priests. "The statement issued by the Bishopric said that the reason is that there is a lot of work and they can't cope; but a solution is not being sought."
For this businessman, the decision "is a mistake and madness" and, to illustrate it, he gives a very graphic example: "it's like saying that Lanzarote airport receives many flights and that we close it because too many planes come in. It makes no sense."
"If it's a lot of work, that's understandable; we have to focus and reach an agreement," he says, stressing that both Aetur, Asolan and other groups "are furious because they know the income involved" in holding these events. According to him, for Aetur the key is to "look for solutions", which can range from increasing the number of priests, "even in two languages (most of the marriages are Irish, he points out)" or, if necessary, "pay for it from some institution, because it is a proven income of more than one flight a week", he says.
"A big problem for the island's economy"
From the institutions, the mayor of Tías, Pancho Hernández, also referred this Wednesday on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero to the Church's ban. "This could cause a big problem for the island's economy," says the mayor. "Keep in mind that at least in the last 4 years in the different tourist fairs in which all the town councils and the Cabildo itself have participated, one of the issues that we have promoted the most is the celebration of weddings in Lanzarote," he said.
Hernández is one of the signatories of the letter that the Cabildo of Lanzarote sent to the Bishopric. "We asked him to take into account the damage it would cause to the island," he explained. For the mayor of Tías, which is one of the municipalities most chosen by foreigners to get married, "if (weddings) do not continue, great economic damage would be done to hotel establishments, because each time such an event takes place, a considerable number of people accompany those who are going to get married". The businessman member of the board of directors of Aetur agrees: "there are hotels that obtain their highest income from weddings, they celebrate three or four a week and each wedding can bring 40 or 60 clients".