COE went from being simply a cultural organisation to a religious institution officially recognized by the Spanish government, in 2007,http://www.troth.org.uk/history.htm A Potted History of Modern Heathenism. under the name of Comunidad Odinista de España-Asatru,Register of the minority religions of the Spanish Ministry of Justice allowing them to perform "legally binding civil ceremonies" (weddings). COE has been the fourth Odinist and Asatruar religious organisation to have been recognized with official status in the world, after organisations in Iceland, Norway and Denmark. While no such recognition is necessary in some countries, including the United States (where pagan weddings have been performed for many decades at least), in many jurisdictions, especially in predominantly Catholic countries or those with a state religion, this sort of official sanction can be very difficult to earn.
