Catholic Institution In Spain Essay

Before the 20th century, the relationship between religious institutions and the state was very interdependent, often relying on each other to maintain order and harmony. In Europe, the relationship of Catholic institutions and the state prior to the impending French revolution (1789-1799) was symbiotic, using their position in society to influence and justify national policy to advance their own position in the state. At times, this dual guardianship over a nation became very centralized and because of their conservative nature, enacted a heavy price to innovation, revolution, and progressivism. Using wealth and divine authority propagated by the state, they were able to shape emerging moral standards and cultural bonds that justified their

Since the conclusion of the Reconquista (1492), the Catholic clergy formed into an integral part of the state and maintaining stability, allowing political leaders control over political and social matters. In Spain, much of this was intended to consolidate power and ensure much of the foreign expansion was justified through church propaganda and papal approval. When Spain became a colonial empire, this close relationship became ever-more important to the state as colonial expansion and proselytization missions required significant clerical manpower, but also created tremendous wealth from the New World. Eventually, the heavy decline of the Spanish empire brought numerous civil and independence wars, economic depressions, and humiliating military defeats, crippled church favor and power over the populace. It would not be until after the fall of the Primo de Rivera dictatorships that progressives and Spanish politicians within the Second Spanish Republic (1931) would work toward expedient economic, social, and political reform. Reform in these areas meant tackling incumbent elites, limiting the power of the church, and reforming the military and would not go unnoticed nor without great