A country in religious transition
Very present and practiced until the 1970s, the Catholic religion is currently losing ground, particularly among young city dwellers. Only 22.7% of Spaniards say they go to mass and confession regularly. The Church, which has long enjoyed a large following, is now losing its influence on the daily lives of the faithful. In 2019, 16.8% of the population declare themselves as having no religion, and 13.3% as atheists. An unprecedented phenomenon is revealed: the sum of non-believers (29.1%) exceeds that of practicing believers (22.7%). Other religions are scarcely represented (barely 3% claimed).
These figures vary from province to province. La Rioja, for example, has almost 40% of its population practicing, while the Basque Country has very little religion. Analysts attribute these differences to the modernity and industrialization of each region. The most multicultural and urbanized communities show a significant drop in religious affiliation.
Spain's conception of secularism differs from that of France. In Spain, if you get married in a church, you don't have to go before the mayor again; and the government continues to pay millions of euros every year to the Catholic Church, money which is used to pay priests and maintain buildings. The passing of a law reducing the weight of religion in education in 2006 marked a break with the past, and was opposed by the Church and the PP (People's Party), already opposed to same-sex marriage. The religion course, previously compulsory at school and decisive for access to higher classes and universities, became optional. However, in 2013, Mariano Rajoy's government passed a new education reform that put religion back at the center of the debate. Henceforth, students must choose between classes in religion or "cultural and social values", or both.
A calendar punctuated by religion
In the Basque Country, as everywhere in Spain, many festivities are of religious origin. After ending at Christmas, the year begins again religiously with the Parades of the Magi on January 5th, which invade the streets of the big cities of Spain - the Magi remain an institution throughout the country and very often children receive a small gift on Christmas Eve, but wait until the arrival of the Magi to receive a big gift. The Semana Grande in Bilbao and San Sebastian celebrate the Virgin Mary's ascent to heaven in a very festive way, with concerts, bullfights and crowded streets for around ten days around 15 August. The patron saint fiestas are also very numerous: on 20 January is the Tamborrada, the feast day of the patron saint of San Sebastian, with 24 hours of concerts; in July, the Sanfermines in Pamplona pay homage to the city's patron saint, Firmin; each village celebrates its patron saint in this way, bringing together music, dance, gastronomy and local activities.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, patron saint of the Spiritual Exercises
Born in 1491 at Loyola Castle in Azpeitia (Guipuscoa), Íñigo grew up in a Basque noble family. Orphaned at the age of fifteen, he joined the court of Ferdinand of Aragon, then became secretary to the treasurer of the Queen of Castile, Isabella the Catholic. At the age of thirty, during the siege of Pamplona, he was wounded by a cannonball and lost the use of his legs for a time. Having dreamed of military exploits, he became bedridden, reading religious works as a hobby. At the end of his convalescence, he converted and decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to Jerusalem. He passed through several emblematic sites, including the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary at Arantzazu, the mountain of Montserrat, and then the town of Manresa - where he stayed for a year, praying in a cave. During this hermit period, he began writing the Spiritual Exercises. He then moved on to Barcelona, Gaeta and Rome, which he reached on foot and without money, before finally arriving in Jerusalem on September 4, 1523. For the next ten years, he studied philosophy, Latin and theology in Spain. At the same time, he preached to students and shared his experience of asceticism through "spiritual exercises", which were frowned upon by the Inquisition. To protect himself, he had to flee to Paris. There, he seduced the crowds, who fell in love with his faith and devotion to the Lord. On August 15, 1534, at the end of a mass celebrated in the crypt of the Martyrium of Saint Denis in Montmartre, the small group of devotees took the vows of chastity and poverty, and pledged to go to Jerusalem to devote themselves to the glory of God. On the way, the companions were obliged to stop in Venice, as war prevented them from continuing their journey. Ignatius, like most of his companions, was ordained a priest in Venice on June 24, 1537. After ordination, the group of friends dispersed to northern Italy to preach and teach Christian doctrine until they could continue on to Jerusalem. Ignatius headed for Rome to serve the Pope. On September 27, 1540, Pope Paul III approved this "Society of Jesus" and ordered its members to remain in Rome to continue their mission. Thus, Ignatius and his companions abandoned their plans to go to Jerusalem to devote themselves to their apostolic work. Ignatius was elected first Father General of his order in 1541. He devoted the rest of his life to drafting the order's constitutions, and had the Spiritual Exercises officially recognized by the Pope. On July 31, 1556, Ignacio died in Rome at the age of 65. He was canonized on March 12, 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, along with his great friend Francis Xavier. Today, two Spanish shrines are dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola: the Church of Gesu in Rome and the Sanctuary-Basilica of Loyola in Azpeitia. The Sanctuary regularly welcomes pilgrims - particularly around July 31, the feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
