You may have heard by now that Spain’s King Juan Carlos abdicated his throne after nearly 40 years in power, handing over the crown to his son, the new King Felipe VI.

The coronation ceremony for new kings and queens is traditionally Catholic — as are the majority of the Spanish people, at least nominally — but the last coronation took place before the country adopted a democratic Constitution. So, in an attempt to be inclusive of all people, King Felipe VI’s official ceremony was purely secular in nature:

Pepe Apezarena, an expert on the Spanish monarchy, said the absence of religious symbols “coincides with the concept of the king contained in the Spanish constitution.” “The monarch is king of all Spaniards and therefore in public he should not lean in any specific direction, but in private it is different. That is why we have seen the prince attend religious ceremonies.”

The King also declared his “faith in the unity of Spain,” which sure as hell beats putting faith in a supernatural alternative.

And given the performance of the country’s team in the World Cup, I’m sure residents of Spain aren’t very fond of God right now, anyway.

To be sure, Felipe is Catholic and said he would have a religious ceremony — but at a separate time. Just as it should be.

(Thanks to @Worchd for her help with this post)



