The Legal Status of the Orthodox Churches in Spain: The Current Situation before the Law of the Spanish State

Abstract

From a historical point of view, Spain has practically always been a confessional country in which the Catholic Church has been united with the State. However, in recent times, there has been a radical change motivated by the secularism of society, the arrival of immigrants who profess other religions, the secularism proclaimed in the current Constitution of 1978 and the normative development of religious freedom and conscience, that favors religious pluralism. In this context, the different Orthodox churches are having a strong presence in Spain, currently being the third largest group in number of faithful, with one and a half million Orthodox believers. In this paper we analyze various issues related to the regulation of religious confessions in Spain and how it applies to Orthodox Churches, both with regard to the legal status of the Orthodox entities themselves and the status of their clergy and their centers of worship and, in particular, we analyze the possibilities for Orthodoxy to reach a general agreement of collaboration with the Spanish State, which would be beneficial for Orthodox churches, such as the one currently held by Jews, Muslims and Evangelicals.