Catholic Spain is less
The proportion of believers down to 71.7%, ten points less than a decade ago, and fell to 56% among the youngest - the higher academic education, lower religiosity
CHARO NOGUEIRA - Madrid - 07/08/2011
Things are not as God intended, believe Manuel and Mary. They were married by the church in the middle of last century, and baptized their three children, educated in religious schools. Two had wedding at the altar in the eighties and the last in court and when I was with her boyfriend, and in the nineties. Three grandchildren Baptism and First Communion for only two. Of these three generations between 15 and 82, the grandparents are the ones who go to Mass every Sunday. "It's what's in these times," sums up her grandmother Mary.
The women go to Mass and the rite is best maintained in rural
Civil weddings are the majority and one in three babies not baptized
That what is , corresponds largely with what happened in Madrid that silences this family surname. And is that you will be visiting Spain for the third time Pope Benedict XVI, formerly the West's spiritual reserves are rapidly secularized. Catholics remain a clear majority, but decline each year: 71.7% of the Spanish are now reported as such, compared to 82.1% in 2001. More ten-point drop in a decade. Atheists and non-believers and are one of four citizens, have climbed to 24.3% versus 14.6% in 2001, according to the Center for Sociological Research (CIS). The other believes in another religion (2.4%) or no answer.
"Our church is mostly elderly and some children. Hardly see people from other generations," describes Mary recalling how a bursting temples where the faithful now thinned at noon Sunday. The numbers support his observation of the CIS: the belief in Catholicism drops dramatically with age. For over 65 years, nine out of 10 say they are believers Spanish and the proportion drops to 56.8% among those between 18 and 24 years, according to the barometer of July. The portrait offers other elements: a better educated, less belief (50.2% of believers with higher education) and greater secularization in large cities (53% of believers) in the field (eight out of ten). Women hold more faith.
Although it handles more favorable data, the Catholic hierarchy notes the increasing fall of the faithful. "By gradually and sometimes disturbing, Spanish society is experiencing a clear process of secularization," said Jesus de las Heras, editor of the Ecclesia , the Episcopal Conference. The phenomenon is widespread, "especially the younger generations" he says.
Sometimes, Manuel and Maria wonder what has happened, but do not think in family meals, the Sunday service that keep the three generations after the defection of children and grandchildren of Sunday Mass: religion is a private matter and only blesses the table on Christmas Eve.
"The causes of secularization are varied and complex," says the priest De las Heras. "In part, society has forgotten the beyond, of transcendence. With economic development, has replaced the spiritual for the material and has departed from the faith." Add to that the "general absence of God in society showing the world of media and culture," he says.
Yes, God does not talk much on TV. And on top of the icing on the secular policies of the Zapatero government (gay marriage, streamlined divorce, support for family diversity highlights several partners ...), . "They've certainly undermined as a fine rain, giving what is normal outside of doctrine and the magisterium of the Church," explains De las Heras. "Secularism is good, as raised by the Second Vatican Council, but the secular anti-clericalism has stained and can not relegate religion to the sacristy, because it is a more human face," says a veteran Jesuit who asked anonymity.
From the church-based, Javier Baeza, a priest fighting a tough neighborhood in Madrid and now involved in moving 15-M, sees things differently. "The religious disaffection in general has to do with the tradition of blaming a religious culture based on the sin and wickedness of man." In this sediment, which is now rejected, added two other elements: "A hierarchy out of coverage, increasingly removed from reality the people and that clashes with the Church more combative "and a society more interested in welfare than in the commitment. Then there is the moral message it conveys the hierarchy, "closed and childish." "People in general believe in God but lose faith in the hierarchy", notes the Jesuit. The Episcopal Conference rejected dialogue with the country for this story.
With his secular viewpoint, Professor of Sociology Alfonso Pérez-Agote, Complutense University, looks back. "In the seventies we went from being a Catholic country to a country of Catholic culture. There was a lack of interest and lowered progressive religious practice. Now it is breaking with that, especially the young," explains the researcher. To sample, several buttons: civil weddings outnumber religious since 2009 - "the sacrament is now the mortgage, 'says the sociologist and one in three babies is born out of wedlock, a proportion similar to that of infants who are not baptized .
"What remains now is an intimate and religion is not religion and not pass through any particular institution," continues Perez-Agote. A divorce that he is encouraged by the low confidence of the Spanish in the Catholic Church. "What will be attractive to young people an undemocratic institution that excludes women because they can not have responsibilities and that is very traditional approaches to sexuality, family, condoms, dignified death and all the burning problems of the XXI century? "he asks.
But no, the shots did not go through the updating of the doctrine. "The Church is aware of the seriousness of some of its moral approaches, but proposes his doctrine convinced that reflects the truth," De las Heras. The "lure of the Church" will not come from a "rebate" of his doctrine.
So, are times of "silent apostasy", as the director of Ecclesia . "It is aggressive and combative" and leads to a certain "religion a la carte" is not "negligible" and live with the lack of doctrine and even the Catholic culture.
"A la carte", de las Heras, or "intimate," according to Perez-Agote religiosity that has followed the religion has a thermometer in Masses and other sacraments, the rites that accompany life of believers. The CIS shows a growing gap between belief and religious practice. 71.7% of citizens who declare themselves believers, 13% goes to church most Sundays and 2.7% several times a week. In 2001 were 19% and 2.9% respectively. Most violates the precept of Sunday Mass.
Now, six in 10 Catholics Do not Tread "almost never" the church, if appointments are discounted social aspect (weddings, baptisms, funerals, communion). And though some priests scold the faithful, as some of the children of Manuel and Maria, do not answer or forget kneeling, others try to win for the cause, to revive the faith background that may remain. Evangelism is the task, although Spain leaves, little by little, to be Catholic.
- Capital:
- Madrid.
- Government:
- Constitutional Monarchy.
- Population:
- 46,157,822 (est. 2008)
Spain
IN DEPTH
The women go to Mass and the rite is best maintained in rural
Civil weddings are the majority and one in three babies not baptized
That what is , corresponds largely with what happened in Madrid that silences this family surname. And is that you will be visiting Spain for the third time Pope Benedict XVI, formerly the West's spiritual reserves are rapidly secularized. Catholics remain a clear majority, but decline each year: 71.7% of the Spanish are now reported as such, compared to 82.1% in 2001. More ten-point drop in a decade. Atheists and non-believers and are one of four citizens, have climbed to 24.3% versus 14.6% in 2001, according to the Center for Sociological Research (CIS). The other believes in another religion (2.4%) or no answer.
"Our church is mostly elderly and some children. Hardly see people from other generations," describes Mary recalling how a bursting temples where the faithful now thinned at noon Sunday. The numbers support his observation of the CIS: the belief in Catholicism drops dramatically with age. For over 65 years, nine out of 10 say they are believers Spanish and the proportion drops to 56.8% among those between 18 and 24 years, according to the barometer of July. The portrait offers other elements: a better educated, less belief (50.2% of believers with higher education) and greater secularization in large cities (53% of believers) in the field (eight out of ten). Women hold more faith.
Although it handles more favorable data, the Catholic hierarchy notes the increasing fall of the faithful. "By gradually and sometimes disturbing, Spanish society is experiencing a clear process of secularization," said Jesus de las Heras, editor of the Ecclesia , the Episcopal Conference. The phenomenon is widespread, "especially the younger generations" he says.
Sometimes, Manuel and Maria wonder what has happened, but do not think in family meals, the Sunday service that keep the three generations after the defection of children and grandchildren of Sunday Mass: religion is a private matter and only blesses the table on Christmas Eve.
"The causes of secularization are varied and complex," says the priest De las Heras. "In part, society has forgotten the beyond, of transcendence. With economic development, has replaced the spiritual for the material and has departed from the faith." Add to that the "general absence of God in society showing the world of media and culture," he says.
Yes, God does not talk much on TV. And on top of the icing on the secular policies of the Zapatero government (gay marriage, streamlined divorce, support for family diversity highlights several partners ...), . "They've certainly undermined as a fine rain, giving what is normal outside of doctrine and the magisterium of the Church," explains De las Heras. "Secularism is good, as raised by the Second Vatican Council, but the secular anti-clericalism has stained and can not relegate religion to the sacristy, because it is a more human face," says a veteran Jesuit who asked anonymity.
From the church-based, Javier Baeza, a priest fighting a tough neighborhood in Madrid and now involved in moving 15-M, sees things differently. "The religious disaffection in general has to do with the tradition of blaming a religious culture based on the sin and wickedness of man." In this sediment, which is now rejected, added two other elements: "A hierarchy out of coverage, increasingly removed from reality the people and that clashes with the Church more combative "and a society more interested in welfare than in the commitment. Then there is the moral message it conveys the hierarchy, "closed and childish." "People in general believe in God but lose faith in the hierarchy", notes the Jesuit. The Episcopal Conference rejected dialogue with the country for this story.
With his secular viewpoint, Professor of Sociology Alfonso Pérez-Agote, Complutense University, looks back. "In the seventies we went from being a Catholic country to a country of Catholic culture. There was a lack of interest and lowered progressive religious practice. Now it is breaking with that, especially the young," explains the researcher. To sample, several buttons: civil weddings outnumber religious since 2009 - "the sacrament is now the mortgage, 'says the sociologist and one in three babies is born out of wedlock, a proportion similar to that of infants who are not baptized .
"What remains now is an intimate and religion is not religion and not pass through any particular institution," continues Perez-Agote. A divorce that he is encouraged by the low confidence of the Spanish in the Catholic Church. "What will be attractive to young people an undemocratic institution that excludes women because they can not have responsibilities and that is very traditional approaches to sexuality, family, condoms, dignified death and all the burning problems of the XXI century? "he asks.
But no, the shots did not go through the updating of the doctrine. "The Church is aware of the seriousness of some of its moral approaches, but proposes his doctrine convinced that reflects the truth," De las Heras. The "lure of the Church" will not come from a "rebate" of his doctrine.
So, are times of "silent apostasy", as the director of Ecclesia . "It is aggressive and combative" and leads to a certain "religion a la carte" is not "negligible" and live with the lack of doctrine and even the Catholic culture.
"A la carte", de las Heras, or "intimate," according to Perez-Agote religiosity that has followed the religion has a thermometer in Masses and other sacraments, the rites that accompany life of believers. The CIS shows a growing gap between belief and religious practice. 71.7% of citizens who declare themselves believers, 13% goes to church most Sundays and 2.7% several times a week. In 2001 were 19% and 2.9% respectively. Most violates the precept of Sunday Mass.
Now, six in 10 Catholics Do not Tread "almost never" the church, if appointments are discounted social aspect (weddings, baptisms, funerals, communion). And though some priests scold the faithful, as some of the children of Manuel and Maria, do not answer or forget kneeling, others try to win for the cause, to revive the faith background that may remain. Evangelism is the task, although Spain leaves, little by little, to be Catholic.
Religion as a 'big move'
Pastoral plans to try to stop the secularization of the day to day and major events and media mass with the Pope of the protagonist. It is a recipe of the Episcopal Conference for the times. Hence "the big move of the World Youth Day," as the priest says Jesus de las Heras, the editor of the episcopate, Ecclesia . "No we take the boat out without more, for the sake of spectacle, but we are aware that we have a challenge to answer. We want to make clear that the Church wants young people and young people have to love the Church" he says. They are the most disaffected.
The conference, from 16 to 21 this month, will have 18 days from the presence of Benedict XVI in Madrid. It will be the eighth visit by a Pope to Spain (the first five were the work of John Paul II between 1982 and 2003). While these trips have not stopped the religious disaffection in ecclesiastical circles believe they are a good injection of optimism to some believers rearmed against growing secularism.
Some argue that the papal presence translates into vocations. But still half empty seminaries: 1,265 students spread over 79 centers in the last year, when 245 new students entered, left 124 and 162 were ordered.
The conference, from 16 to 21 this month, will have 18 days from the presence of Benedict XVI in Madrid. It will be the eighth visit by a Pope to Spain (the first five were the work of John Paul II between 1982 and 2003). While these trips have not stopped the religious disaffection in ecclesiastical circles believe they are a good injection of optimism to some believers rearmed against growing secularism.
Some argue that the papal presence translates into vocations. But still half empty seminaries: 1,265 students spread over 79 centers in the last year, when 245 new students entered, left 124 and 162 were ordered.
Church figures
- In Spain there are 22,686 parishes. The priests serving 18,633. The religious (nuns almost 20%) total 61,106.
- Strong crisis of vocations. Last year 162 priests were ordained. In the 79 seminars is an average of 15.5 students.
- 63.5% of babies are baptized and it is estimated that around 60% of children do communion.
- 71% of students come to class Catholic. five years ago were almost 80%.
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Espana/catolica/elpepisoc/20110807elpepisoc_2/Tes
- Strong crisis of vocations. Last year 162 priests were ordained. In the 79 seminars is an average of 15.5 students.
- 63.5% of babies are baptized and it is estimated that around 60% of children do communion.
- 71% of students come to class Catholic. five years ago were almost 80%.
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Espana/catolica/elpepisoc/20110807elpepisoc_2/Tes
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