A sinful scene? Catholic group urges men and women to avoid going to the beach together. (iStock)
Summer is the time to show a little skin at the beach. But one Catholic group in Spain is trying to put an end to that temptation by calling for segregated beaches: one for men and one for women.
The religious Traditionalist Group Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, based in northern Spanish region of Asturias, is advising Catholic followers not to visit “mixed” beaches during the summer to avoid giving into “sins of the flesh,” reports The Local in Spain.
"Catholics, preserve your decency in summer, too: Don’t go to mixed beaches!" reads a poster uploaded to the group’s Facebook page.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
The warning is accompanied by other recommendations and includes excerpts from the Norms of Christian Decency, a set of rules published by Spanish bishops in 1958.
“Mixed bathing (individuals of different sexes), almost always leads to occasions of sin and scandal and as many precautions as possible should be taken,” the text advises.
Men should only wear “simple trunks” (the group even suggests a “Meyba” style, a loose fitting short worn by soccer players), while single women are advised to wear a full-coverage suit and always cover up with a skirt when out of the water.
"If there are no segregated beaches close by, we think the best option is to not go to the beach," the group advises.
According to the Facebook post, the most risky place vacationers can visit is the swimming pool, "where the reduction in space and the mass of people brings danger even closer."
The Carlist group, which was founded in the 19th century, is a Catholic group which challanges teachings of the “modernist Church.”
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.