Josep-Lluis Serrano Pentinat, the recently installed bishop of Urgell and, by virtue of that role, co-prince of Andorra, now finds himself at the center of an unfolding political and moral drama.
A bill expected to pass through the Andorran parliament this November would decriminalize abortion, removing penalties for women who undergo the procedure and for doctors who perform it.
Although the law would stop short of authorizing abortions on Andorran soil, it marks a turning point in a country where the influence of the Catholic Church has long shaped public policy.
Ordinarily, in Andorra’s diarchic system, only one of the two co-princes must sign legislation for it to become law.
Historically, it has been the French head of state - currently Emmanuel Macron - who has assumed that responsibility whenever controversial social legislation reached the head of state’s desk.
It was this mechanism that allowed civil unions for same-sex couples and assisted reproduction laws to pass without ecclesiastical endorsement.
But the Vatican’s behind-the-scenes role in negotiating the current proposal has raised the possibility, however remote, that Serrano himself might affix his name to the bill.
That prospect would represent a striking departure from the stance of his predecessor, Joan-Enric Vives, who went so far as to threaten abdication rather than sign legislation he viewed as incompatible with Catholic doctrine.
The shift has been gradual but unmistakable. Reports in Catalan media suggest that discussions between Andorran officials and the Holy See have been underway for several years.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, visited Andorra in 2023 amid speculation about a potential constitutional crisis over abortion.
At the time, Parolin called the matter “very delicate, very complex,” stressing the need for prudence and discretion.
Local outlets later claimed that Pope Francis himself had tacitly approved the plan to decriminalize abortion in principle, a claim neither confirmed nor denied by the Holy See.