The centrality of Catholicism
Despite the fact that Andorra has not adopted any state religion, Catholicism has long structured its society and continues to do so. The Catholic Church is now the majority religious community, with Catholics accounting for more than 80 per cent of the Andorran population, and about half of them attend church regularly. Although the Constitution of the Principality of Andorra, adopted in 1993, states that the country is an independent State without an official religion, it also stipulates that it has a "favoured" religion: Article 11 of the Constitution guarantees "the Catholic Church the maintenance of its relations of special collaboration with the State, in accordance with Andorran tradition", referring in particular to the figure of head of State of the Bishop of the diocese of Urgell. The importance of Catholicism in Andorran society is reflected in the many religious festivals that punctuate the year, beginning with the religious celebration of the Virgin of Meritxell on 8 September, the national holiday.
However, freedom of worship is respected and even protected by the Andorran constitution. Other Christian faiths are represented in the country, including the Protestant, Mormon and New Apostolic churches. In addition, approximately 2,000 people, or 2 to 3% of the population, mainly from North Africa, are followers of Islam, although they do not have a mosque. However, an Islamic cultural centre with prayer rooms has been made available to the followers of Islam. The rest of the population is composed of Hindus, Jews, Baha'is and atheists.
Two Andorran legends
Andorra is also a land of legends, which flourished from the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century. The Cruz de los Siete Brazos (Cross of the Seven Arms), located on the old road between Canillo and Meritxell, recalls the story of the young man from Prats who was afraid of meeting the devil. To mock him, seven young men invited him to a picnic on condition that he brought wine from the grocery store in Canillo. Canillo agreed on the condition that he went armed with a gun and loaded with flour. When he bought it, the grocer unknowingly put real bullets in the magazine, so that when one of the jokers, covered with a sheet to simulate a ghost, tried to frighten the young man, he received a shot from the gun and died on the spot where the Cross of the Seven Arms (representing the seven young men) stands, without his body ever being found... The Rock of the Witches, on which there are a number of ancient engravings, is said to be the place where the witches of Canillo fought the devil. At the end of a bloody battle, the devil left the trace of his nails on the wall as he fell into the abyss...
