Spain’s Minister of Education, Mercedes Cabrera, expressed her support this week of a ruling by the Constitutional Court that recognized the authority of the Catholic Church to determine the competence of teachers hired to teach religion in the country’s schools.

During a press conference, Cabrera said the government is supporting the court decision because “whatever is part of the current norms must be respected.”

“The Catholic Church is responsible for recommending religion teachers, although the public administration hires them,” she said, adding that if the Church determines that a particular teacher is not qualified, “the school administrations cannot keep him or her” on the faculty.
 
Cabrera acknowledged that Spanish law protects the rights of workers but she noted the “specificity” of the situation of religion teachers, who must not only present appropriate academic credentials but also must be subjected to the moral analysis of the Church.