Catholic Church in Francoist Spain as an Instrument of Power Legitimization: Canonical and Legal Aspects

The Catholic Church is one of the most significant social institutions that defines the meanings and values of the culture and the developmental perspective of European civilization. Performing its role, the Catholic Church interacts with the state, including the legal field among others. It acts as a subject of both international and domestic relations in these activities. Despite current trends of weakening influence in a pluralistic secularized society, the Church continues to play an important role in developing and transforming the state- legal system of any nation. The relevance of studying the role and position of the Church in today’s world as a tool for legitimizing and preserving traditional values in the ever-changing world is determined by its significance in forming legal consciousness and legal culture. The article presents the examination of the real and declared influence of the Catholic Church on state- legal processes, using examples of interaction of the two social institutions at the stages of formation, rise, crisis, and fall of the dictatorship of F. Franco and in the transit period (shift from the authoritarian to democratic political- legal order). The article was prepared on the basis of a report presented at the VIII Barsov Readings (December 6, 2024, St. Petersburg Theological Academy).