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Are doors open for all? The access of religious leaders to hospitals and prisons in Spain

Are doors open for all? The access of religious leaders to hospitals and prisons in Spain. Dra. Maria M. Griera Mariadelmar.griera@uab.cat On behalf of the ISOR research team : Joan Estruch , Julia Martinez , Glòria Garcia -Romeral, Maria Forteza and Anna Clot.

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Are doors open for all? The access of religious leaders to hospitals and prisons in Spain

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  1. Are doors open for all? The access of religious leaders to hospitals and prisons in Spain Dra. Maria M. Griera Mariadelmar.griera@uab.cat Onbehalf of the ISOR researchteam: Joan Estruch, Julia Martinez, GlòriaGarcia-Romeral, Maria Forteza and Anna Clot

  2. Outline of thepresentation • Aim of the presentation: to offer an overview of the research project “The accommodation of religious diversity in public institutions (hospitals and prisons) in Spain”. • Estructure of the presentation • First part: the research project mains characteristics • Second part: Prison chaplaincy in Spain. • Main argument: chaplaincy is evolving towards a more inclusivist and pluralist model. However, the situation is still highly unequal and there is a marked gap between the legal framework and the reality. This gap opens the door to what we call “banal Catholicism” and “banal New Age”.

  3. The GEDIVER-IN researchproject • Research Project: the accommodation of religious diversity in public institutions (hospitals and prisons) in Spain, funded by the Spanish National Research Program (2009-2013). • The overall objective of this research project is • to analyse the challenges that the growth of religious diversity raises for public institutions and • to examine the main strategies developed to accommodate religious minorities in public institutions and • to adopt a comparative perspective between the situation in Catalonia and Andalusia and between prisons and hospitals.

  4. Fieldworkin progress Geographicalareas: Andalusia andCatalonia • Analyticaldimensions • Chaplancy • Chapel/Worshiproom • Accommodation of religiouspractice/preceptes Fieldwork • Case studies: • Prisons: 6 • Hospitals: 6 • Researchmethods • Interviews (62) • Observation • Documental Analysis

  5. Prisonchaplaincy: ResearchqUestions • Whatchallengesraisesthe new religiousscenariofortheprovision and delivery of religious and pastoral care in Spanishprisons? • Howtheprovision and delivery of religious and pastoral careisorganised? And how has evolved? • Whatisthe role of theCatholicChurch in thisscenario?

  6. Secularization and divesity • The accommodation of religious diversity within public institutions have become a matter of concern in recent years. • Thereligiousscenario • Growth in number and visiblity of religious minorities in recentyears • Increasingsecularization of the country, beingAndalusiathelesssecularizedregion and Cataloniathemost.

  7. Andalusia and Cataloniacompared Total Population Evolution of Foreign Population Religious Worship Centers in Catalonia and Andalusia

  8. (2) Whatmodelforprisonchaplaincy? • The evolution and the current organisation of religious care in prisons • Many steps have been taken but a look at the terrain shows, that the situation is, still, highly unequal. • To understand the situation in its complexity it is necessary to go beyond the legal framework to take into account that there are several and distinct factorsthat play a role in facilitating or hindering the religious personnel access and work in public institutions. • The agency of the actors • The institutional context • The power of the taken for granted

  9. The General Framework I Three stages on the evolution of the provision and delivery of religious and pastoral care: • Until the end of the seventies: catholic monopoly over religous care in prisons. • Until the end of the nineties: formal recognition of religious freedom rights and of the rights of minorities to religious care in prisons (LOLR 7/1980; 92’ Agreements). • From 2000 onwards: many actions have been taken to accommodate religion in prisons (Catalan and Spanish directives, 2004 and 2007; publishing of good practices guides, training programms…).

  10. The General framework II • The development of a model of provision and delivery based on three levels: • The Catholic provision and delivery (the Vatican-Spanish Government agreement) • Permanent position in prisons / salary paid by the government / free access hours and spaces • The Protestant, Muslim and Jewish (the Cooperation Agreements) • The other religious traditions (with the condition of being registered as “religions” in the RER- Justice Ministry) • A marked gap between the legal framework and the reality.

  11. (a) Theagency of theactors • Thelobbyingcapacity of thegroups • Powerrelationswithinthereligiousgroups

  12. (b) Theinstitutionalcontext • The characteristics of the institution (the importance of the year of opening). • The role of the regional governments • The Catalan Government has developed its own public policy regarding religious affairs, being the only case in Spain. This major involvement of the Catalan government is visible in the following issues: • Agreement with the Protestant and Muslim communities and provision of an amount of money to cover the expenses of Chaplaincy. • Prison staff trained on religious diversity issues by UNESCO Interfaith association, paid by the Catalan Government. • The publication of a “good practice guide” on religious diversity accommodation in prison. • An agreement with GTER (Grup de TreballEstable de les Religions) to organise interfaith events at the prisons (two per year) and other punctual initiatives (to bring religious books at the prisons).

  13. (c) Thepower of thetakenforgranted • Banal Catholicism • Adaptation of the Michel Billig concept, “Banal Nationalism” • Everydaypracticesorroutinesthat are invisibles at theeyes of themajority (eg. Familiarity, Christmas celebration, symbols…). • TheCatholic ‘power’ makes banal whatisnot banal • Banal New Age • What a religion looks like? • The cases of iogacourses in catalanprisons • Instructors free access, paidbythegovernment, spiritual language, no control overthecontents.

  14. (3) The role of thecatholicchurch • Catholic Church is not acting as a monolithic institution in this case. The church is adapting its discourse, action and strategy to each micro context. • Thepresence of religiousminoritiesisnotdirectlychallengingthe position of theCatholicChurchwithinSpanishprisions. • Themainlimitationstothe role of theCatholicChurchintoprisons are notconsequence of religiousdiversitybut of theadvancements in data protectionprocedures and securityconcerns.

  15. Catholicpriests are part of theHospitals’ ethicalcomittes! And whynot ulemas, xamansorbrahmans? • Theywere late.

  16. Are doors open for all? The access of religious leaders to hospitals and prisons in Spain Dra. Maria M. Griera Mariadelmar.griera@uab.cat Onbehalf of the ISOR researchteam: Joan Estruch, Julia Martinez, GlòriaGarcia-Romeral, Maria Forteza and Anna Clot

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