A strong Catholic tradition, but losing momentum
Although its constitution is secular, Spain is still strongly marked by the Christian Catholic tradition and in the 2000s, nearly 70% of Spaniards still declared themselves to be Catholic. But if it remained very much alive and practiced until the 1970s, the religion is losing ground, especially among young people. And the church, which for a long time enjoyed a large audience, is seeing its influence on the daily lives of the faithful steadily decline. More than half of them admit that they do not practice. This decline is also reflected in its functioning, with a drop in priestly vocations and a considerable fall in the number of monastic orders. The issue of teaching religion in schools has arisen in the political debate and has led to two different approaches. In 2006, the vote of a law reducing its weight in education marked a break, making it optional when it was previously compulsory and decisive for access to higher classes and universities. The church and the PP (Popular Party) opposed this text and in 2013, under the government of Mariano Rajoy, a new education reform put religion back at the center of the debate: students had to choose between courses in religion or "cultural and social values." In 2018, Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) reaffirmed his desire for no religion to be present in the curriculum, and was sworn in as president of the government before the Constitution and not the Bible, a first in Spanish democracy. This option was confirmed with the passing of the Celaá law at the end of 2020, which provides for religious education to be optional, without having to choose an alternative subject if one does not take a religion course. This law also includes a compulsory teaching of civic and ethical values.
Catalan particularities
As in the rest of Spain, the Catholic religion remains the majority in Catalonia, but not by much and here too its influence is declining. According to a survey by the Center for the Study of Opinion published in 2015 by the Generalitat, only 50% of the Catalan population define themselves as Catholic and 30% declare themselves agnostic. The remaining 20% are divided among various minority religions, the first of which is the Muslim religion (7.3%), mostly Moroccans. The survey also draws a profile of Catholic practice according to gender, age and territory. Catholics tend to be women, over 65 years old, and live in small villages. On the other hand, only 28% of those under 24 years of age declare themselves to be Catholic and are often born in the province of Barcelona or in large Catalan cities. By far the largest number of places of worship are in the Catholic Church, with a slight increase in the number of places of worship in general (+1.29%), mainly due to the opening of Muslim places of worship and evangelical churches. For 90% of respondents, this increase in religious diversity is perceived as positive, compared to 14% who consider it a risk to the country's way of life (19.5% among Catholics). Islam is a growing religion and has also entered schools since the start of the 2020 school year through a pilot program for learning about the Islamic religion in several primary and secondary schools in Barcelona, El Baix Llobregat, Girona and Tarragona. This program is part of a cooperation agreement between the Spanish State and the Islamic Commission of Spain. Its objective is to guarantee the free exercise of worship and to maintain social cohesion. To this end, these courses are not mandatory and their programs will be defined by the Spanish government.
Holy Week and local legends
Setmana Santa. As in all of Spain, the Semana Santa, Holy Week, recreates the passion and death of Christ, but at the same time it is a festival that brings thousands of people into the streets. From Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday, hundreds of religious events take place in Catalonia. Several cities stand out for the beauty of their processions such as Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Badalona, Tarragona or Gerona. This holy week will be the occasion to discover the "mona de Pâques", a cake made of chocolate eggs, as well as the "bunyols" doughnuts eaten during Lent and Easter
The Devil's Bridge in Tarragona. A Tarragona legend tells that once upon a time, when the city lacked water, an aqueduct was built to supply the city with water. But one stormy night, the work was destroyed. The head of the construction site, disillusioned, declared that only the devil could build a new aqueduct, and that it would last 1,000 years! Then the devil appeared and made a deal: he offered the city an aqueduct during the night in exchange for the soul of the first person who drank from his water that day. The next day, at dawn, the master builder made a donkey drink water. The Devil, displeased at having been fooled in this way, wanted to demolish the aqueduct. But the people of Tarragona quickly chased him away. So much so that to take his revenge, the Devil sent a horde of demons into the valleys so that they would divert the watercourses and the city would never see a drop!
The Rose of Reus. Since 1592, the rose has been the symbol of the city of Reus. This is documented in the minutes of the city council dated December 13, 1592. The reason for this choice, according to legend, is a shepherdess named Isabella Basora. To her, while she was imploring the mercy of the Almighty so that the plague epidemic that was ravaging the region would cease, the Virgin appeared. The apparition assured her that if she went to the council and lit a candle, the epidemic would end. She went to the council, but the councilors were incredulous and would not let her light the candle. The shepherdess explained her misery to the Virgin, who reappeared in the same place. The latter then applied the image of a rose on her cheek and invited her to repeat her attempt. And this time, the counselors took notice. And the plague stopped.
