Spain says YES to Bahai marriage

In an important step towards promoting religious inclusion and diversity in Spain, the first legally and civilly recognised Bahá’í marriage in the country has taken place. This significant milestone came after the Bahá’í Community of Spain obtained recognition as a religious denomination with Notorious Roots, a procedural path in which they have pioneered, allowing a couple to marry through the Bahá’í ceremony without the need for an additional civil act.

“Having the status of Notorious Roots automatically allows religious communities to give civil validity to marriages celebrated under their doctrine,” explains Ms Clarisa Nieva, representative of the Bahá’í Community of Spain. “This step not only saves time and paperwork for believers, avoiding the need to celebrate both a Bahá’í wedding and a civil wedding for their marriage to be valid in Spain, but also highlights the spiritual and legal significance of their beliefs”.

A Simple but Solemn Process

The Bahá’í wedding ceremony is noted for its simplicity and solemnity. During the ceremony, the couple commit themselves to each other by saying: “We will all, indeed, abide by the will of God“, before at least two witnesses approved by the local Bahá’í Governing Body. Members of this community, when it comes to their weddings, have a great deal of choice in additional details such as readings, music and decorations, which are decided by the bride and groom.

Nura and Gonzalo, the pioneering couple to use this approval, say that they completed the initial procedures in the same way as any other resident in Spain, either by going to the Civil Registry or to a notary. “In our case, we went to the Civil Registry of Valladolid,” they say, “the important thing when starting the process was to mention that we wanted to celebrate a Bahá’í religious wedding, for which we attached the necessary endorsements that accredit our religion to access this new procedure,” they added.

A Step Towards Inclusion

From the Bahá’í Community, Clarisa Nieva expresses her gratitude for this move towards diversity: “From our religious community we are grateful that civil procedures are being opened up to the diversity of beliefs and practices existing in our society”. But she warns of the challenge involved: “It is not an easy path for both sides; both the public administration and the religious communities must build bridges of communication and flexibility in the implementation of these procedures“.

With no “Minister of Worship” per se in the Bahá’í Faith to officiate at the ceremony, Nievas explains that they had to appoint “Delegates with marriage registration capacity” from their communities, so that they could register Bahá’í marriages with the Spanish Civil Registry, thus showing a commendable ability to make reasonable accommodations.

“We are very happy to be the first beneficiaries of this procedure that allows us to make known the importance of marriage in the Bahá’í teachings,” conclude the couple, who already have their family book. “ This union is not just between two people, but between two families. Marriage is considered a strength for the well-being of the community and society of which we are part .”

Its origins, and the impact of the Bahá’í Faith in Spain

The Bahá’í Faith, a religion with more than eight million followers worldwide, focuses on the unity of humanity and contributing to the common good through service activities. They strive to apply the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh (their founder) to their individual and collective lives in order to contribute to the improvement of their environments. It is also noteworthy that the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) , who defend the rights of their followers, in addition to making numerous contributions of knowledge and projects for development and governance, has consultative status with the United Nations, where they are always very active. Most of the community activities focus on promoting the spiritual education of children, youth and families to serve society and contribute to the common good .

The Baha’i, with a history of almost 80 years in Spain, began with Virginia Orbison in 1946 , managing to register for the first time in 1968 , and have obtained the status of Notorious Rootedness in 2023 (BOE No. 230-Sec.III) , which represents not only a recognition of their social and educational contribution, but also a sign of stability.

The community has more than 5,000 members and is present in 15 Autonomous Communities of Spain, with 108 registered entities and 17 places of worship promoting spiritual education and service to society. This recognition of Bahá’í marriage represents a further step towards its integration into Spanish society, celebrating its diversity and bringing a new meaning to religious coexistence in the country.