1,200 students claim the subject of religion in Spain

Some 1,200 Spanish students who have chosen to pursue the subject of Religion have participated in a meeting organized by the Archdiocese of Burgos in which it has been claimed that “it gives meaning to integral formation.”

This has been expressed by Alejandro Romero, a professor of this teaching in two institutes in the province of Valladolid, in statements released by the Archdiocese in A statement: “The subject of religion gives light to the heart and illuminates the realities of the life of our students, who are needing so much.”

From the same opinion he is a student of the third course of compulsory secondary education (ESO), Estela, who adds that “offers many values ​​that contribute throughout life.”

His partner Maria adds: “Religion also teaches you to look in, to your soul. What we learn in religion can help you get out of difficult times and in your day to day.”

Throughout the morning of Wednesday, the young people were distributed by six routes that ran through the Historic Center of the City of Burgos, in a spiritual and heritage itinerary within the framework of the 950th anniversary of the transfer of the episcopal headquarters from OSA, which included 27 locations.

The students also attended a religious act chaired by the Vicar of Pastoral of the Archdiocese, P. José Luis Lastra, in which he rflexed on the retirement motto Pilgrims of hope next to the cross of the youth of San Juan Pablo II.

After receiving the testimony of several students on how “everything related to faith is worth living intensely,” the most festive part of the day with charangas was celebrated, a disck jockey and the performance of a local urban dance group.

The meeting concluded with the awards ceremony for the contest of questions about the historical tour made, attended by some political authorities.

The subject of religion in Spain

In the Agreements between the Spanish State and the Holy See of 1979 It was established that the subject of religion would be offered in primary and secondary education “in conditions comparable to the other fundamental disciplines”, which would not be mandatory to study it and that the right to receive it was guaranteed.

The note obtained in this subject had the same category as that of any other subjects for academic and face effects, for example, to access to the university.

This system remained in force until 1990, with the arrival of a new Educational Law (LOE) promoted by the Popular Party (centrist-liberal), the mandatory offer and voluntary acceptance were maintained, but the comparison to other subjects was eliminated: there would be no alternative subject or count the note in the student’s file.

This configuration was annulled in 1994 by the Supreme Court that understood that it constituted discrimination.

In 2002, a new standard (LOCE) was approved, which adjusted more to the agreements between the Holy See and the Spanish State, which however did not implement when the socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in 2004 came to power.

One of his first measures was to approve a new law (LOE) in which religion appeared as an optional subject, with two alternatives: history of religions or study time. As the first one was never defined, in practice it turned to the declared situation illegal by justice in 1994.

In addition, religion qualification influenced the possibility of repeating course, but not at the time of access to the university or obtaining scholarships.

In parallel, the subject Education for Citizenship, mandatory, which unleashed great mobilizations and protests by the Catholic Church for violating the right of parents to choose an education according to their values.

In 2013, the centrist-liberal government of the PP led by Mariano Rajoy promoted a new reform (Lomce) that gave full academic validity to religion and established an alternative subject in primary and secondary school.

The gradual application of this law caused that it was practically not implemented in its entirety. With the return to the power of the Socialists in 2018, with the support of the communists, a new educational reform was raised, the Lomloe, approved in 2020.

It maintains the obligation to offer the subject of religion and the voluntariness to study it, but for academic or scholarship purposes it is fully canceled and an alternative subject is not established.