Guide to Andalucía - Religion

The Religion in Spain

The religion of Spain as everyone knows, is Catholicism and practically everyone there is a Catholic. The variety is Roman Apostolic. Aside from the Catholics there are a few thousand Jews mostly Sephardic who left the countries of North Africa to settle in the larger urban centres like Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Cordoba. Recently a synagogue was inaugurated at Mallorca. Spain also has some Anglicans.

While religion in Spain is accordingly taken with absolute seriousness in its more profound aspects, there is a very large ingredient of laughter and enjoyment that spices Spanish Catholicism. Being so large a part of all life in Spain religion has been expanded to include life's joyous aspects as well as the austere ones that characterize the northern religions.

Nearly every fiesta is a celebration of some religious event. Added to these are the Romerias in which a great deal of drinking, singing, dancing, etc. are often linked to a pilgrimage to a religious shrine.

Islamic Spain

Islamic Spain was a multi-cultural mix of the people of three great monotheistic religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

For much of the time the three groups managed to get along together and to benefit from the presence of each other.

It brought a degree of civilisation to Europe that matched the heights of the Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance.