Berkley Center

Reflecting upon my last letter, I realize how many questions I have left unanswered and how little hope I actually have of arriving at any sort of coherent conclusion about religion, or perhaps more enigmatically faith, in Spanish life. I find myself wondering, if the Spanish believe in the religion of Catholicism as a link to the past, do they also truly believe in the Catholic faith as an orienting and uniting path towards their future? This question becomes most evident through the political divisions and polarization which currently grip the nation.

I recently overheard on the nightly news here a new survey found that under 50 percent of Spanish say they believe in God, yet an overwhelming majority of the nation (80 to 94 percent, depending on the source) defines themselves as Catholic. So, indubitably, Spain has a religious identity, yet a common faith that directs and guides a nation is lacking, or at the very least reshaping itself in a way that is still hard to detect or comprehend. I do not mean to say that most nations are not religiously pluralistic or that religious diversity is a hindrance, but simply that a common overarching faith is often shared among people of many different backgrounds and beliefs.

What, then, do Spaniards have as far as a faith to share and unite them in their hopes, beliefs, and vision for the future? One observation I was recently discussing with my friends in Spain is the fact that most of the churchgoing population, those who would presumably also be in the minority that still believes in God, is elderly and aging quickly. Younger Spaniards whom I have spoken to about religion and even faith seem to recoil at the idea and proudly declare their lack thereof. This divergence and sharp contrast is seen clearly in the political life of Spain, which has a history of polarization that seems to be exacerbating today. In fact, demonstrably, the Spanish bishops'’ conference in February of this year before national elections announced scathing criticisms of the Socialist government which all but endorsed the rightist Partido Popular, which holds firm to the family values platform of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict himself has preached in Spain against the newly passed law that permits gay marriage and has reaffirmed that “not all programs are equally compatible with faith and the Christian life.”

Despite these attempts by the Church to influence the electorate of Spain and a close race that is illustrative of the nation'’s religious rift, the incumbent Zapatero retained his position as Spain continues to liberalize. I said before that when Spaniards recognize themselves, easily and openly, as Catholics they are reaffirming a shared history. I still believe this, but it is obvious through watching the interplay between religion and politics that the degree to which Spaniards wish to cling to this religious past is much more varied and divided than the ease with which they admit Spain’'s history as part of their national identity. While there is a clear belief in the importance of this shared history, a faith in the future direction of the country is missing. True, this is faith in the broadest sense of the word, but faith in God and religion is integrally tied to this.

The nation’'s past experiences with Franco'’s fascist Catholic regime, the shame many perhaps feel toward the Inquisition and expulsion of the Moors and Jews, and even the continuing doubts about the static Catholic policy towards family planning and gay rights all lead to deeper doubts about God. If history has lent them these doubts about the basest of religion’'s foundations, it certainly has also left a nation torn about the direction in which politics should guide it. Some, mostly of the older generation, cling to this past, attending church regularly and voting for the party founded by Franco supporters, while others who no longer have faith in the old religious ways or even in the deepest foundations of them (God) pull the nation towards a socially liberalizing new direction.

It is hard to say how this battle between the future and the past, between religion and doubt, will play out, but it is certain that it will be actively fought for years to come. While Catholicism provides an identity to the Spanish people, it also poses a question about faith and the future which, above all, is seen in the polarization of political life.