“Religious freedom and freedom of conscience are not secondary issues; they are fundamental rights”
https://www.catalunyareligio.cat/ca/llibertat-religiosa-consciencia-no-es-questio
Religious freedom and freedom of conscience are under scrutiny. This is evidenced by the headlines that, day after day, have appeared in newspapers and television news broadcasts. This was recalled by Míriam Díez Bosch, Director of the Chair of Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience, Director of the Blanquerna Observatory of Communication, Religion and Culture, and Vice-Dean for Research at Blanquerna, during the opening ceremony of the III International Congress on Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience, held in Barcelona. “Every day we see the expansion of hostile discourses against certain religious traditions or communities, amplified by political arenas and carried into parliaments,” she warned, before stressing that “today we are not talking about privileges; we are talking about rights. Even not believing is a right and must be guaranteed.”
Díez argued that “believing is not an eccentricity” and emphasized that the congress aimed to go beyond the academic sphere. “We are not here merely for an essentially academic event; we work for civil society,” she stated, defining Blanquerna as “an open space for debate.” In this context, she dedicated the congress to Josep Rom, who passed away last November: “He designed our logo, but above all he charted a path of creativity, a sense of humor, and the conviction that encounters between people and religions are something to be promoted.”
The institutional opening highlighted the civic and democratic dimension of the debate and of the right to believe and think freely. The President of the Blanquerna Foundation, Josep Maria Carbonell, began his address by highlighting Díez’s role, describing her as “the mother of this project,” and thanking her for “the tenacity, commitment, and patience that made this event possible.” Carbonell stated emphatically that “religious freedom and freedom of conscience are not secondary issues; they are fundamental rights,” adding that “they are a vital necessity for individuals and peoples.”
“RELIGIONS FORM PART OF PEOPLE’S CULTURAL AND MORAL HERITAGE”
In his speech, he pointed out that “where religious freedom is respected, society responds freely; where it is concealed, human dignity is gravely wounded,” and argued that religious freedom “is not the opium of the people, but their breath.” According to him, this freedom “does not alienate, but opens horizons of meaning, responsibility, and transcendence,” and is also “a right of peoples,” since “religions form part of people’s cultural and moral heritage.” Carbonell concluded that “it is neither a privilege nor a threat, but a condition of possibility for a plural and truly free society,” and called for interreligious dialogue in a world “marked by polarization and identity conflicts”: “Dialogue does not dilute identities; it matures them.”
Institutional support was also visible through a video intervention by the Minister of Justice and Democratic Quality, Ramon Espadaler. The minister warned that “we are not living in easy times” and that “this is not a time of changes, but a profound change of era.” In this context, he stated that “freedom of worship, religious freedom, and freedom of conscience are under siege,” and recalled that “two-thirds of the world’s citizens live in places where there are limitations on freedom of worship.”
“FREEDOM OF WORSHIP, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE ARE UNDER SIEGE”
Espadaler particularly valued the approach of the congress: “This is not a congress to study freedom of worship; the very title commits you to freedom of worship and freedom of conscience.” He also defended that this right must be guaranteed in the public sphere, “not confined solely to the private realm,” and highlighted Catalonia’s religious diversity, “with evident Christian roots, but with a growing presence of other faiths.” Although it is a recognized right, he warned that “this does not mean it is guaranteed,” and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment: “From the Directorate General for Religious Affairs, we will participate actively.”
One round table, four testimonies
The second part of the event gave way to a round table, moderated by Alba Sabaté, dedicated to interreligious dialogue and human development, featuring voices from very diverse contexts. Cardinal Cristóbal López, Archbishop of Rabat, spoke from personal experience: “I am not an academic or an expert; I speak from who I am—a Salesian Christian and priest—and from what I have lived in Catalonia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Seville, and Morocco.” López described the situation of religious freedom in Morocco as “a rheostat, rather than the binary system of a switch—on/off,” and recalled that the country “has adhered to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and that the 2011 Constitution recognizes freedom of conscience, despite political limitations.
“INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IS NOT JUST A TOOL; IT IS A NECESSARY PATH”
Quoting the Qur’an—“there is no compulsion in religion”—and words of King Mohammed VI—“we are the guarantors of the free exercise of worship”—he explained, while showing a figure representing the three religions of the Book—the Abrahamic religions—that “in Morocco there have been Jewish communities for more than 3,000 years, as well as Christian churches and places of worship.” When asked whether full religious freedom exists, he replied: “Yes, but not yet.” For López, interreligious dialogue “is not just a tool; it is a necessary path” that allows a transition “from intolerance to fraternity,” and requires “the strength of identity, the courage of otherness, and the sincerity of intentions.”
Professor Fabio Petito, an expert in religion and international relations at the University of Sussex, warned that “reports indicate a deterioration of religious freedom and freedom of conscience over the past twenty years,” linked to “the rise of religious nationalisms across all continents.” According to him, these discourses “claim that the nation belongs only to the majority religion” and generate “an increase in social hostility toward various faiths.” At the same time, he emphasized that religions “are today connected to an extraordinary idea of interreligious solidarity to work for peace and sustainable development,” and concluded that “no one should be left behind.”
“REPORTS INDICATE A DETERIORATION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS”
From a legal perspective, Professor Zoila Combalía, from the University of Zaragoza, analyzed accelerated social changes. “We have moved from wall-like borders to porous borders,” she stated, recalling that “in just a few decades we have moved from hospitality to the need for inclusion.” Combalía stressed that “equality is not uniformity,” because “uniformity can generate discriminatory effects,” and identified obstacles such as “the minimization of religion due to secularization, militant secularism, and religious populisms.” In this context, she argued that “religion is not a threat, but an opportunity.”
“RELIGION IS NOT A THREAT, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY”
The perspective from Eastern Europe was provided by Ukrainian journalist and analyst Tetiana Derkach. She explained that following independence in 1991, Ukraine experienced profound political, cultural, and religious transformations, including the separation between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate. “Churches have not understood religious freedom as a universal right, but as the right to their own freedom,” she denounced, warning that this view has encouraged “the instrumentalization of religion” and left “blind spots in the legal framework that should protect all faiths.”
The III International Congress on Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience thus brought to light the fragility of a fundamental right, as well as the need to actively defend it through dialogue, knowledge, and commitment. Through various panels and conferences, this dialogue will take shape over three days, offering opportunities to think, reflect, and share perspectives on this right that allows us to think and believe in whatever we choose.