Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

De la Monarquía Católica a la Nación de los Católicos.

2008; Center for Political and Constitutional Studies; Issue: 17 Linguagem: Inglês

1989-063X

José María Portillo Valdés,

European Political History Analysis

The first Spanish constitution (1812) stated in article 12 that the Spanish nation was exclusively catholic not tolerating other confessions. In addition, the same article involved national legislature in the protection of the catholic religion. Spanish liberal historiography to the present time has certainly feel uncomfortable with the fact that the first Spanish constitutionalism and liberal discourse was closely intolerant, trying to explain this fact as an almost necessary transaction with the traditionalist and monarchist wing of the Cortes (parliament). However, the study of the debates on the constitutional draft (1811-1812) and the analysis of the religious-political culture of a substantial part of the first Spanish liberalism allow us to explain this apparent contradiction between liberal constitutionalism and non-tolerant religious attitude.