Exploring Religion in Barcelona
Religion is a very significant subject to explore in Barcelona as, identical to Spain, it has a very large Christian influence. Inclusive of approximately 1,505,325 inhabitants compiling the city's population, 90% are Roman Catholic leaving only 10% to other religious preferences in Barcelona. The well-documented church tradition in Barcelona, ultimately the arrival of Christianity, roots back to Apostolic Times, specifically Saint Aetherius who brought Christianity to Barcelona in 37 A.D. At the time of the Apostles, Tarragona was the capital of the large Roman province of Tarraconensis, which included all of northern, central, and eastern Spain, and Barcelona was a small city on the road to Gaul. Overtime, Tarragona shrunk in size and was replaced by Barcelona both in size and importance. Today, the Archdiocese continues to struggle against creeping secularism which has decimated the Church in many sections of Barcelona. Although the Catholic religion has declined in the city of Barcelona, it has certainly not disappeared. This is evident as there are still over eight hundred and forty five places of worship in the city of Barcelona. While many Cathedrals of worship in Barcelona are significant, the Cathedral of Barcelona is of utmost respect. Furthermore, the Archdiocese of Barcelona, a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northeastern Spain, continues to uphold the Catholic traditions of Barcelona today. The current Archbishop of Barcelona is Lluís Martínez Sistach, appointed by Pope John Paul II on June 15, 2004. Certainly, the rich Catholicism of Spain is still present in the flourishing city of Barcelona today. |
The Cathedral of Barcelona
Interior of the Cathedral of Barcelona
|
Enjoy a tour of the beautiful Barcelona Cathedral!
Works Cited
"History." Catholic Barcelona. 1 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2015
"Barcelona Statistics - Basic Facts about Barcelona and Spain." Barcelona Statistics. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.