Under its Socialist government elected last March Spain is pushing on apace with a moral revolution which began tentatively with the 1978 restoration of democracy -- despite outrage within the influential Roman Catholic Church.
Polls show government attempts to modernize Spanish society are largely in tune with popular thinking and Rafael Diaz Salazar, professor of sociology at Madrid's Complutense University, says it is unlikely that the two sides will clash head on.
Both Church and government are in the throes of seeking compromise on several issues, notably the teaching of religious instruction in schools which is a cause celebre for the Church.
Yet the Church hierarchy is reeling after Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has, in just 10 months in power, produced a shoal of policy initiatives ranging from facilitating divorce, legalising gay marriages and stem cell research.
Under the military dictatorship of General Francisco Franco such moves would have been unthinkable in what has until recent years been one of Europe's most conservative societies.
On Monday, the debate moved to a new level when Pope John Paul II entered the fray and criticized what he termed the moral laxity of modern Spain, where he divined a "disrespect and even ignorance of religion," which ran counter to "the most noble Spanish traditions."
According to Diaz Salazar, a culture of live and let live has developed in Spain" since the death of Franco.
The result, he maintains, is that Spain "is today without doubt the most culturally liberated country in Europe.
"In a society long-repressed the impetus towards transgression is that much stronger," the sociologist concludes.
Officially, some 80 percent of Spaniards profess to be Catholic, but among 15-to 29-year-olds the figure slumps to 14.2 percent, against 77 percent under Franco in 1967.
Moreover, 79.4 percent of that age group admit to using condoms.
That statistic comes amid the row of recent days engendered by the spokesman for Spain's Conference of Catholic Bishops, Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, who said condoms could be used as part of the global effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Spanish Church officials and the Vatican quickly responded that the Roman Catholic Church remained opposed to the use of condoms.
Meanwhile, Spain's birthrate is one of the world's lowest, divorce and separations have steadily been on the rise for two decades and a May opinion poll showed seven in 10 Spaniards back same-sex marriages.
A similar percentage believe the Church is not in touch with the country's social realities.
In addition, according to Diaz Salazar, "there is a huge gulf" between the traditional, ultra-conservative wing of the church and modernisers.
Diaz Salazar says it appears absurd to many people when a "minority sector of the Church -- albeit one with great influence" demonises condoms.
"That raises a laugh with practising families. Look at their birthrate," he says.
With popular support at their backs, the government on Tuesday called on the Church to let it govern -- though it has postponed for now reform of still conservative abortion laws.
As a further sop to the church, Zapatero has also pledged not to touch an agreement struck by Madrid and the Vatican almost 25 years ago on tax revenues being used toward the financing of the Church and religious instruction.
With millions of Spaniards still nonetheless loyal to the Church, Diaz Salazar notes that "the government is conscious of the risk of erosion" of political support it could face if it opted for open conflict.
"It (the government) will therefore advance with caution," the professor predicts.