Protestantismo y Masonería en la España contemporânea

Abstract

Catholicism, deeply rooted in Spain until nowadays, made the heterodoxies that Protestants and Masons represented in modern times build bridges of collaboration among them, when the legal framework for freedoms allowed it, in their fight against the common enemy which was the Church of Rome. Studies observe that this was a fact, above all from 1868 until the beginning of the last civil war (1936) when there was a regime of tolerance and, promptly, religious freedom, within the constitutional frame. The close relationship between Masons and Protestants was seen in some common projects: in the commitment to an ideology of liberalism that was more progressive, democratic and even republican (supporters of religious freedom), the fight for a secular school or at least neutral in religious matters, outreach to the less favoured sectors of society, etc. However, concerning the number of Protestants framed in the ranks of Freemasonry, studies — still partial — show that the number was low possibly due to the also limited number of followers that had the different reformed churches in Spain.