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 SPAIN

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SPAIN

Canonical marriage has legal force for all Spanish Catholics, without the necessity of any civil marriage, provided the civil authorities are notified that Chris- tian marriage has been contracted, such marriage being subject in Spain to the Decrees of the Council of Trent. Civil marriage exists only for non-Cath- olics, and Spaniards who wish to contract it must first make a declaration of having abandoned the Cathohc Religion and Church. The Church also has juris- diction over cemeteries, which are blessed canonicaUy. For unbeUevers, apostates, and other persons by law excluded from ecclesiastical sepulture, a separate cemetery is provided, usually near the Catholic cemetery, and under the control of the civil authority. In Spain, where feudahsm took httle root, the aristoc- racy has lost its exemptions and privOeges, civil and political, but as a social distinction it stLU exists, to- gether with certain titles of modern creation. The royal family consists of the king, the queen consort, and the queen-mother (collectively spoken of in Spanish as los reyes, Uterally, "the kings ), the Prince of Asturias (heir apparent), and the "infantes of Spain" — • such relations of the king as may be gi-anted that dignity. At the head of the nobility are the grandees of Spain of the first and the second class. The dukes, marquesses, counts, viscounts, and barons follow in order. The civil decorations most used are the American Order of Isabella the Catholic, and the Order of Charles III. There are grand crosses, com- manderies {encomiendas), and simple crosses; those who wear the grand cross are given the title of Excelentisimos Sefiores. Of recent foundation is the Civil Order of Alfonso XII. The ancient military orders of Santiago, Alcdntara, Montesa, and Cala- trava also continue to e.xist as honorary distinctions.

B. The Political SitiuiUon. — The elements which go to make up the existing pohtical situation in Spain are (besides the foreign influences, chiefly English Liberahsm and French Jacobinism) the dynastic question, the turno legal, or alternation, of the two Restoration parties (see above), and the growth of Republicanism. The political parties form three groups: Dissidents of the Right, legal parties, and Dissidents of the Left. The Dissidents of the Right consist of the old Carlist party, dormant during the last years of the reign of Isabel II, but which developed extraordinary vigour under the Republic and the period of extreme Liberalism, maintaining a civil war. It is still ready and willing to defend the ideal of traditional Spain whenever the excesses of Liberalism destroy the equilibrium of Spanish society. By the death of Don Carlos de Borbon, whom the Carhsts regarded as the lawful King of Spain, Don Jaime de Borb6n has inherited his rights. In the summer of 1888 another division arose within the Traditionalist party, its Extreme Right being formed, owing to the approximation of Don Carlos to constitutionalist ideas. This division, not yet entirely healed, resulted in the Integiist Party, directed by Don Ram6n de Nocedal and, after his death, by a, junta, or committee.

Although all the political parties are recognized as Parliamentary minorities, only those are called legal which recognize the reigning dynasty and take turns in office. They are, at present, the Union Liberal- Conservatives, whose undisputed leader is Don An- tonio Maura, and the Liberal Democratic Party, the leadership of which is disputed between Moret, Can- alejas, and Montero Rios. The former of these two parties endeavours to find Catholic and Conservative solutions for political problems within the lidiiuds of actually existing conditions; it is coiiiiiionly cliargcd with excessive tenderness for the accoiiiplished facts left by the Lilierals as the result of their i>erio(l of su- preiiia<y. The Liberal Demoiratic I'arty, on the con- trary, tliuugh unwilling to e:dl itself anti-Catholic, calls Itself anti-Clerical, and tends towards I'rench Jacobinism. Its aims are the secularization of mar-

riage and of burial, the laicization of education, and the repression of the natural growth of religious orders by legislative interference.

The Dissidents of the Left are the RepubUcans, whose numbers are increasing among the less educated, and who are divided into numberless factions, each more radical than the other. The Vandal proceedings of Barcelona, in July, 1909 — when churches and sepul- chres were burned and profaned, and persons conse- crated to God were murdered and violated — ex- hibited the aspirations of these extremists. And yet their chief, Ferrer, who was shot for these crimes, has found sympathizers and defenders in Europe and America. In their general anarchy and lack of in- fluential leaders, the Republicans are divided into Federals, Socialists, Anarchists, Acratists, etc. Be- sides these pohtical parties there are the RegionaUsts of Catalonia and the Basque Provinces, whose aim is administrative decentralization.

Divisions among Catholics and the indifference of a great portion of the people have resulted in a feeble Cathohc Press, particularly in the department of daily papers. There are three Catholic dailies at Madrid: "El Correo Espanol" (Carlist), "El Siglo Futuro" (Integrist), "El Universo" (Alfonsist Catholic). In the provinces there are many of similar tendencies, such as "El Correo Catalan" of Barcelona, "La Gacetadel Norte" of Bilbao, "El Noticiero" of Sar- agossa, " La Voz " of Valencia. Among the weekUes mention should be made of "LaLectui'a Dominical" (Madrid), and among scientific reviews "Raz6ny Fe" (Jesuit), "LaCiudadde Dios", and "Espafiay Amer- ica" (both Augustinian), "Los Estudios Francis- canos", "La Ilustraci6n de Clero". The Moderate Liberals have good periodicals, such as "La Corre- spondencia de Espaiia", the "A. B. C", "La Epoca", "El Diario de Barcelona"; weeklies such as "Blancoy Negro", "La Ilustraci6n Espaiiolay Amer- icana"; but their reviews are inferior to the Cathohc, with the exception of their professional periodicals — for medicine, engineering, bulletins of scientific so- cieties, etc. The periodicals of the Extreme Liberal Press are widely read — "El Imparcial", "El Lib- eral", and "El Heraldo" of Madrid (forming a news- paper trust), and many others in the provinces, "El Pais" is notable for its Atheistical impiety, and it is followed by "El Pueblo" of Valencia, "Espana Nueva", etc. The official organ is "La Gaceta de Madrid", while in each province there is the "Boletin Oficial", and a "Boletin" in each diocese.

C. Educational and Social Improvement. — Beside the educational institutions, there are various acade- mies for the cultivation of thesciences, which are at the same time consultative adjuncts of the State. The principal of these is the Spanish Academy, or "Aca- demia de la Lengua", founded in 1713 under the pa- tronage of Philip V. The statutes which now govern it were approved by decree of 20 August, 1859. It is composed of 36 active academicians, who must reside at Madrid, 24 Spanish correspondents, who are honorary members, and an undetermined number of foreign correspondents. Its chief concern is the CastiUan language, in which it is regarded as authoritative. It has published twelve editions of the CastiUan Grammar and Dictionarj', and many other impor- tant works, among the more recent being the com- plete Works of Lope de Vega, under the direction of Menendez Pclayo. The Academy of History was created in 1735 and approved by royal decree of 17 June, 173S, the former functions of the official chron- icler (if Spain and the Indies being vested in it. Its present statutes were approved by decree of May, I. Sot). It is <iiaiged with the preservation of na- tional antiquities and moiuunents. The .\cademy of Fine .Vrts of St. Ferdinand was founded in 17.")2 under the name of " Heal Acadeinia de lius tres nobles .Vrtes de S. Fernando ". Its present statutes were approved