The Catholic Church has been a prominent factor in the daily lives of many European states for many centuries; and Spain is no exception. The rule of the Catholic Church is so indoctrinated in people that even today, “ three-quarters of Spaniards define themselves as Catholics, with only one in forty who follow some other religion”. (Tremlett, "Spain is still a very Roman Catholic country, but times are changing") It is evident that the Catholic Church has played a large part of the shaping of Spain today in religion and history, but the Church has also molded some of Spanish culture. But did the Spanish Catholic Church play a role in the mid of the twentieth century, and even before the Spanish Civil War? In the 1930s and even today the
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While attending these schools, students would learn basic tools things like reading and writing and they would also learn higher skills like mathematics. Before the increase in the literacy rate, Spanish citizens would accept Catholicism blindly because that was the only thing they knew. From 1920 to 1930 the “fastest increase” of literacy of Spain occurred. The literacy rate went from fifty-seven percent to sixty-nine percent, an increase of twelve percent. (Casares, 2000, p. 258) In an addition to teaching reading, writing, and mathematics at the schools, the monks and the nuns would also teach religion. Before this time, many Spaniards were illiterate and learned religion through pictures and stories they have heard at the schools and the churches, but with higher literacy rates would mean that citizens could read the Bible and other religious documents for themselves. The schools were so entwined with religion that it became the status quo to learn to read the bible in order to become …show more content…
The Second Republic’s goal was to create a “utopian state”. In order to create this perfected state, The Second Republic got rid of the monarchy and “everything related to it”, which included the Spanish Catholic Church. The Republic created multiple laws against religion and the Catholic Church such as: “the clergy was forbidden to teach” and that the “property of the Church and her possessions were to be handed over to civil authorities”. (Redzioch, "The Martyrs of Spain's Civil War") The clergy were replaced with new teachers; these new teachers had fascist ideas. In these newly run schools, children were taught not to question what they read and also, not to think critically. (Domke, "Education, Fascism, and the Catholic Church in Franco's Spain") Minister of War, Manuel Azaña “believed that the Catholic Church was responsible for Spain’s backwardness.” (Simkin, "Manuel Azaña") Because he was so passionate against the Catholic Church, in a public display of dissatisfaction for the Church, he ordered the army to burn down all of the churches. The church buildings were lost, but also lives were lost; Nuns (who also were the teachers before the Second Republic) lived in the Church and were burnt to death as a result of the church
While attending these schools, students would learn basic tools things like reading and writing and they would also learn higher skills like mathematics. Before the increase in the literacy rate, Spanish citizens would accept Catholicism blindly because that was the only thing they knew. From 1920 to 1930 the “fastest increase” of literacy of Spain occurred. The literacy rate went from fifty-seven percent to sixty-nine percent, an increase of twelve percent. (Casares, 2000, p. 258) In an addition to teaching reading, writing, and mathematics at the schools, the monks and the nuns would also teach religion. Before this time, many Spaniards were illiterate and learned religion through pictures and stories they have heard at the schools and the churches, but with higher literacy rates would mean that citizens could read the Bible and other religious documents for themselves. The schools were so entwined with religion that it became the status quo to learn to read the bible in order to become …show more content…
The Second Republic’s goal was to create a “utopian state”. In order to create this perfected state, The Second Republic got rid of the monarchy and “everything related to it”, which included the Spanish Catholic Church. The Republic created multiple laws against religion and the Catholic Church such as: “the clergy was forbidden to teach” and that the “property of the Church and her possessions were to be handed over to civil authorities”. (Redzioch, "The Martyrs of Spain's Civil War") The clergy were replaced with new teachers; these new teachers had fascist ideas. In these newly run schools, children were taught not to question what they read and also, not to think critically. (Domke, "Education, Fascism, and the Catholic Church in Franco's Spain") Minister of War, Manuel Azaña “believed that the Catholic Church was responsible for Spain’s backwardness.” (Simkin, "Manuel Azaña") Because he was so passionate against the Catholic Church, in a public display of dissatisfaction for the Church, he ordered the army to burn down all of the churches. The church buildings were lost, but also lives were lost; Nuns (who also were the teachers before the Second Republic) lived in the Church and were burnt to death as a result of the church