La Llibertat religiosa en el constitucionalisme espanyol: les creences dissidents

Abstract

Religious intolerance characterizes the contemporary history of Spain except for the Six Revolutionary Years (1868-1874), the Second Republic (1931-1939) and the current parliamentary monarchy (Constitution of 1978). During the 19th century doctrinal constitutions predominated in Spain, declaring Catholicism as the official state religion and forcing the state to financially maintain Catholic worship and ministers after the confiscation of church property. Religious dissent was persecuted and repressed. A brief period of religious freedom started with the Revolution of 1868 and the first Protestant churches began to be organized in Catalonia: Assemblies of Brethren, Methodist, Baptist and the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church (Anglican Communion). For much of the contemporary era, Protestants lived under a regime of segregation and discrimination as a result of religious dissent. The Constitution of the Second Republic opted for secularism, declaring that the state did not profess any religion and approving religious freedom. General Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War once again led to the proclamation of Catholicism as the official state religion and the persecution of religious dissent. Religious freedom was not to become a reality again in Spain until the 1978 Constitution.