Victory over Church for religion teacher sacked after she married divorcé

A religion instructor who was barred from teaching at public schools after marrying a divorced man has just won her case, 11 years later.

The Constitutional Court ordered the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA), which had originally ruled in favor of the Roman Catholic Church, to retract in favor of Resurrección Galera Navarro, a former teacher of Catholic religion. The final ruling criticizes the Church, the regional government of Andalusia and the Education Ministry (in charge of hiring religion teachers on the Church's recommendation) for violating Galera Navarro's "fundamental rights."

Although the new sentence establishes Galera Navarro must be returned to her post in the same conditions she had at the time of her dismissal, Catholic bishops have said she will not get her job back. The ministry will have to pay her an unspecified amount in damages, which might be upwards of 200,000 euros.

Galera Navarro had been teaching Catholic religion since 1994 at public schools in Almería province, although at first without a contract. From January 1, 1999 she signed her first contract with the Education Ministry, until on September 1, 2000 she married a divorced man in a civil ceremony. According to the TSJA's sentence, it was then that a Church official in charge of education issues, Antonio Rueda, met with her to warn that he had found out about her marriage outside the Church, and that if this situation persisted she would not be recommended for a new contract the following year. Rueda made good on his promise, and Galera Navarro initiated a long suit that included several setbacks until the Constitutional Court backed her claim.