Discovering Cartagena

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Bishop Come Home 

By Phillip Bruce 

The Bishop of Cartagena, strangely, lives in the city of Murcia. This infuriates the people of Cartagena. 

Cartagena is the ancient city of the region with the regional capital, Murcia city, only being founded by invading Muslims in the ninth century.  The apostle Saint James is said to have landed in Cartagena bringing Christianity to Spain. 

The regional big cheese in the church is still known as the Bishop of Cartagena but his seat has been in Murcia city since the 13^th century.  Cartagena was, apparently, much too rough and exposed to the elements and the raiding pirates of North Africa to interest a comfort-loving bishop, so he moved inland 800 years ago. 

However, any discussion of where the bishop ought to be located today is guaranteed to raise passions. 

The site of what some claim, on shaky grounds, to have been the first church in Spain is the building next to the Roman theatre, currently being excavated. The church is closed at the moment. 

Near to the old church is a piece of graffiti which illustrates local feeling:  “The bishop lives in Murcia next to the power and the money,” it says. 

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