The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: News

Candace Potter [Click to enlarge]

Thanks to Spain, I'm considering forfeiting my Catholicism.

Well, maybe not giving it up entirely, but it has definitely come under intense scrutiny in my short time here. One might be confused as to how a country that boasts a Catholic population of almost 94 percent would cause me to question my faith. Wouldn't the constant Catholic influences-ornate cathedrals, religious festivals, homes decorated with pictures of saints-only increase my love for my faith and its rich history?

I thought a semester abroad in Madrid would satisfy my craving to see how a dominantly Catholic country functioned. In fact, Time magazine posted a story online about a conservative group of Catholics who took to protesting Santa, reaffirming the Three Kings role in the tradition of bringing gifts during Christmas. A country that elevated the Bible above politically correctness? I was hooked.

I was only a week into my stay in Madrid when the twinkle of Spain's unified faith began to fade. I realized that one of the only reasons for Spain's incredible Catholic devotion is that other major religions were forced to convert or kicked out of the country. As the story goes, years ago, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella used their positions of power to demand that the people of Spain convert to Catholicism or leave. They transformed temples and mosques into buildings for the use of the Catholic Church and demanded that Muslims and Jews convert-or else.

On a weekend trip to Toledo, Spain, I realized the repercussions of these Catholic conquests: There is little to no trace of Judaism or Islam in Spain. My time in Toledo brought to life the devastation that religious war has had. One of the stops on our trip was a visit to the museum of an old Jewish synagogue, one of the few surviving in the region. It struck me that, while we were touring this museum and admiring the menorahs and torahs, the synagogue museum was just that: a museum. No longer were services held (unlike the cathedral down the street that celebrated frequent Masses). The culture of the Jews in Toledo had been reduced to a museum.

Other visits around Spain have reinforced my embarrassment for the actions of the Catholic conquests. In Granada, I visited the Alhambra, a beautiful palace that once housed Muslim royalty (think Aladdin and Jasmine basking in beautiful gardens).

The design of Alhambra's grounds was abruptly interrupted, though, by an awkward building positioned in the middle of the grounds, built by the Catholics. After the Spanish crown conquered Alhambra, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain, Charles V built the palace right in the middle of the pre-existing Muslim palace. Yet again, the Catholics conquered another religion and plowed over its culture.

So it seems my travels abroad, originally set on igniting a deeper passion for my Catholic faith, have served a different purpose. My time here has not made me more fervent, but it has made me less ignorant about the Catholic Church's past. I now know how Christianity dominated Spain and though I am not proud of it, few organizations or countries have a blemish-free past.

For now, forfeiting my Catholicism seems like the easy way out. After all, I still have three months to continue searching for something positive. I don't have to finish this chapter of my quest, at least not yet.


Candace Potter is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, studying in Madrid, Spain.

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