The preference for cooperation over the vindication of religious freedom: The response of the Spanish Catholic Church to the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

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The coronavirus crisis has caused a profound impact on different sectors of society. The Spanish Catholic Church has taken upon itself to respond to the overwhelming extent of the tragedy of COVID-19. Through a quantitative analysis, this research begins by defining the actions, and classifying them, into various types of activity, and presents the repercussions on the life of communities and Catholic institutions during the first wave of the pandemic. The analysis goes deeper into implications for religious freedom and health restrictions of the decrees of the State of Emergency in Spain. The official position of the Catholic Church reveals that it has tried to serve the whole of society, working in collaboration with the authorities. In order to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, the institution has respected the rules and avoided legal conflicts in relation to the right of religious freedom