The Spanish region of Catalonia hosted the first International Congress on Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience.

This initiative is part of the Chair presented in September 2021 and promoted by the Blanquerna Observatory of Communication, Religion and Culture of the Ramon Llull University and the Department of Justice of the regional government, through the Directorate General of Religious Affairs.

The aim of the event, according to the organisers, is to “spark debate, share good practices and everything that can be found in the research on this fundamental human right".

The Councillor of Justice of the regional government, Lourdes Ciuró, took part in the opening ceremony of the congress and reaffirmed the vision that the regional authorities have so far expressed regarding religion.

“We are committed to protect religious freedom and freedom of conscience. It is unacceptable to persecute people for their beliefs, love or feelings”, pointed out Ciuró.

Catalonia, “a religious map”

The councillor put Catalonia as an example of this diversity, describing it as “a country with a religious map that hosts 7,400 places of worship of 14 different religious faiths”.

“Religious feelings and the religious fact are present in our daily lives and we must recognise them, respect them and watch over good practices and inter-religious collaboration”, she added.

Ciuró also stressed the value of having a body such as the General Directorate for Religious Affairs, headed by Yvonne Griley, which was created “with the aim of facing the 21st century with a new normality that recognises and accepts religious diversity, freedom of thought and conscience and inter-religious dialogue”.