U.S. Dep't of State, 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Andorra

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The constitution provides for freedom of individuals to manifest their religion or beliefs and prohibits religious discrimination. It names the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain as joint head of state with the President of France. In accordance with the constitution, the government offers the Roman Catholic Church privileges not available to other religious groups. The education law amended in 2022 bans the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools.

Because the revised education law bans headscarves in schools as conspicuous religious symbols, the family of a Muslim girl opted to continue her education via online classes rather than in-person learning. In June, in response to longstanding requests by Muslim and Jewish community representatives, the government announced that it had identified suitable government-owned land to build a multiconfessional cemetery. The planning was underway at year’s end. After the April 3 national elections, Salomon Benchluch, from the party Democrats for Andorra, became the first ever Jewish member of the Andorran parliament.

The Andorran National Commission for UNESCO’s Interfaith Dialogue Group brought together representatives of the country’s religious communities to discuss religious freedom concerns. The National Commission for UNESCO served as a bridge between the government and religious communities. In February, the commission convened a meeting of the Interfaith Dialogue Group to discuss religious freedom concerns, which included the inability of religious groups other than the Catholic Church to register as religious groups rather than cultural organizations. The U.S. Ambassador, resident in Spain, and the Consul General and other officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona met and communicated regularly with senior officials from multiple governmental ministries.

During visits to the country and in periodic communications, consulate general officials discussed with Jewish and Muslim leaders and human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) issues such as the lack of official status for faiths other than Catholicism and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities. The consulate general and embassy used social media to promote religious freedom, tolerance, and human rights, including through observation of a wide range of religious holidays and commemorations. Section I. Religious Demography The U.S. government estimates the total population at 85,500 (midyear 2023). The Andorran government estimates that approximately half of the population consists of noncitizens, mostly from Spain, France, and Portugal.

The U.S. government estimates the country is 90 percent Catholic, and Andorran government officials estimate that the vast majority of the population is Catholic. Muslim leaders estimate their community, which largely comprises recent immigrants, has between 1,000 and 2,000 members. The Jewish community reports it has approximately 100 members. Other small religious groups include Hindus, Anglicans, Orthodox, Seventh-day Adventists, the Baha’i Faith, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), the New Apostolic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom Legal Framework The constitution guarantees “freedom of ideas, religion, and worship.” It prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and stipulates no one shall be required to disclose his or her religion or beliefs. The constitution acknowledges a special relationship with the Catholic Church “in accordance with Andorran tradition” and recognizes the “full legal capacity” of the bodies of the Catholic Church, granting them legal status “in accordance with their own rules.” In accordance with the constitution, the government offers the Catholic Church privileges not available to other religious groups, such as granting legal status as a religious group and recognizing priests as religious workers. The Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, whose diocese includes Andorra, is one of two constitutionally designated princes of the country and serves equally as joint head of state with the other prince, the President of France.

Instruction in the Catholic faith is optional in public schools except for the three public Catholic schools. The Catholic Church provides teachers for religion classes, and the government provides space in public schools for Catholic religious instruction and pays the teachers’ salaries. The education law bans the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, including head scarves, kippahs, and large crosses. The law regulates online schooling in public schools for students who opt for it due to medical, social, or religious reasons.

The law provides for online schooling for first and secondary school students who, due to the ban on the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, choose not to attend class. The law provides for an elective course in primary public schools on philosophy, ethics, values, and the history of democracy for those students that do not wish to register for Catholic religion classes. The law provides for the right to equal treatment and nondiscrimination, including for members of any religious group. The law has judicial, administrative, and institutional provisions to protect and provide compensation for victims of discrimination.

The law also provides for fines of up to €24,000 ($26,500) in cases of discrimination, including on the basis of religious affiliation, and stipulates the burden of proof in such cases rests with the defendant, who must demonstrate there has not been discrimination. Faiths other than Catholicism do not have legal status as religious groups. The government registers religious communities as cultural organizations under the law of associations, which does not specifically mention religious groups. To build a place of worship or seek government financial support for community activities, a religious group must acquire legal status by registering as a nonprofit cultural organization.

To register, a group must provide its statutes and foundational agreement, a statement certifying the names of persons appointed to the board or other official positions in the organization, and a patrimony declaration that identifies the inheritance or endowment of the organization. A consolidated register of associations records all types of associations, including religious groups. The national ombudsman is responsible for investigating complaints of racism, discrimination, and intolerance, including those involving a religious motivation, in the public and private sectors. The ombudsman makes recommendations to the public administration to correct problems and reports annually to the parliament.

The law requires individuals applying for official documents, such as residence permits, passports, and driver’s licenses, to appear in person and be photographed with their heads uncovered. According to the law, municipalities are responsible for the construction, preservation, and administration of cemeteries and funerary services. Government regulations permit ritual slaughter as required by the Islamic or Jewish faith, as long as it takes place under the supervision of the veterinary services of the country’s slaughterhouse. The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Government Practices The Ministry of Education continued to provide online schooling only for a 12-year-old Muslim girl registered in the local public school system. Her parents had opted for alternative schooling in the wake of a 2022 amendment to the education law banning conspicuous religious symbols, which required the girl to remove her headscarf to participate in in-person learning. The government added new subject matter on philosophy, ethics, values, and the history of democracy to the public-school curriculum for those students who did not wish to take part in optional Catholic religion classes. The Catholic Church continued to receive special privileges not available to other religious groups.

The government paid the salaries of the eight Catholic priests serving in local churches and granted all foreign Catholic priests’ citizenship for as long as they exercised their functions in the country. In response to longstanding requests by Muslim and Jewish community representatives for cemeteries where they could bury their dead according to their rituals and traditions, in June the government announced that it had identified a suitable parcel of government-owned land, next to the Escaldes-Engordany cemetery, to build a multiconfessional cemetery. At year’s end, planning for the cemetery was underway. Pending completion of the project, most Jews and Muslims continued to bury their dead outside the country.

After the April 3 national elections, Salomon Benchluch, from the party Democrats for Andorra, became the first Jewish member of the Andorran parliament. The government continued to fund three public Catholic schools at the primary and secondary level. These were open to students of all faiths. Catholic instruction was mandatory for all students attending these schools.

The government continued to maintain a policy of issuing religious work permits only to foreigners performing religious functions for the Catholic Church. Foreign religious workers belonging to other groups said they could enter the country with permits for other positions, such as schoolteachers or business workers, and carry out religious work without hindrance. Catholic rituals, such as priests blessing those gathered for an event or leading a Mass before an event, continued to be a part of many state ceremonies, including annual national day celebrations. Section III.

Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom In February, the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO convened a meeting of the Interfaith Dialogue Group, which brought together representatives of the country’s religious communities to discuss religious freedom concerns including the lack of legal status for religious groups other than the Catholic Church and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities. In the absence of a mosque in the country, the Muslim community continued to rely on two Islamic prayer rooms that it rented in Andorra la Vella and in Escaldes-Engordany. The Catholic Church of Sant Joan de Sispony lent its sanctuary for services once a month to the Anglican community so that visiting Anglican clergy could conduct services for its English-speaking members. Section IV.

U.S. Government Policy and Engagement The U.S. Ambassador, resident in Spain, and the Consul General and other officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona reiterated the importance of religious tolerance in periodic in-person and virtual meetings and other communications with officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs; Education; Social Affairs; and Justice and Interior, as well as the Office of the Ombudsman. Consulate general staff raised continued concerns about the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities with senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials as well as with the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO. In periodic communications and meetings with representatives of the Jewish and Muslim communities and human rights NGOs, consulate general officials discussed the groups’ views on issues pertaining to their exercise of religious freedom in the country, including the lack of legal status for religious groups other than the Catholic Church and the government’s announcement on the possible construction of a multiconfessional cemetery. The consulate general regularly amplified messages from the Secretary of State and Department of State on religious freedom through social media.

For example, the consulate general highlighted International Religious Freedom Day on October 27 and encouraged partnerships with civil society organizations to combat all forms of hatred and discrimination on religious grounds. Throughout the year, the consulate general promoted a variety of religious observations on social media, including International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, Jewish-American Heritage month in May, National Arab Heritage Month and Yom HaShoah in April, as well as significant holidays such as Ramadan, Hannukah, and Eid al-Fitr. On This Page search > < EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section I. Religious Demography Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom Legal Framework Government Practices Section III.

Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement Tags Andorra Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of International Religious Freedom Religious Freedom Reports