News, March to May 2012

Bicentenary of first Constitution

19th March marks the bi-centenary of Spain's first modern Constitution. The 'Cortes' in Cádiz met in the shadow of war, as France occupied much of Spain and had recently forced the Spanish navy to face Nelson at Trafalgar, with disastrous results. The first Constitution was forged by 'liberals', but not so liberal as those on the French side of the war. The monarchy was retained, with the Catholic church as the only religious option. However, at least the Inquisition was abolished.

The 1812 Constitution was a far cry from the modern democratic version of 1978, but also a major step forward from the absolutist monarchy of the 18th century. And it only lasted a couple of years, since as soon as the Peninsula war was won (largely thanks to the Duke of Wellington's famous campaign), king Ferdinand VII reinstated the absolute monarchy and the Inquisition, albeit for less than another 20 years. One matter from which there was no going back was the recognition of the loss of the Latin American colonies, which had taken advantage of the war to declare independence. Of interest to evangelicals is that one person close to the editors, Jose María Blanco White, took refuge at this time in Britain, writing profusely about the Spanish situation and soon after become an Anglican. You can read more in Spanish in this article from Protestante Digital, or in English on Wikipedia.