Religion in Chile: Difference between revisions
| Line 51: | Line 51: | ||
==Latter-day Saints (Mormon)== |
==Latter-day Saints (Mormon)== |
||
[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] has flourished in Chile for the past forty years, becoming, by some estimates, the second largest church in the country. |
|||
Early apostle [[Parley P. Pratt]] was among the first Mormon missionaries to preach in Chile, landing in Valparaiso in November, 1851, along with Elder Rufus Allen and Phoebe Sopher, one of Pratt's wives, who was pregnant at the time. The mission party was charmed by the Chilean countryside and people. Pratt wrote that the people he met in Chile were “a neat, plain, loving and sociable people; very friendly, frank, and easy to become acquainted with,” but the mission trip met with tragedy when the Pratt's month-old son died in January 1852<ref>[http://www.vqronline.org/webexclusive/2007/10/01/cordero-mormon-chile/ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report]</ref>. Hampered by language difficulties and a lack of literature in the Spanish language (selections of the Book of Mormon were not translated into Spanish until 1875<ref>[http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/book_of_mormon/translations.html]</ref>) the missionaries left Chile after four months without having a successful baptism<ref>[http://www.vqronline.org/webexclusive/2007/10/01/cordero-mormon-chile/ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report]</ref>. Although the missionary effort did not bear immediate fruits, Pratt used his experience in South America to advise [[Brigham Young]] that the success of future missionary efforts would be based on translations of the scriptures <ref>[http://www.gordonbanks.com/gordon/family/ppprattauto.htm] | Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt</ref>. |
|||
Early apostle [[Parley P. Pratt]] was among the first Mormon missionaries to preach in Chile, landing in Valparaiso in November, 1851, along with Elder Rufus Allen and Phoebe Sopher, one of Pratt's wives, who was pregnant at the time. The mission party was impressed by the Chilean countryside and people. Pratt wrote that the people he met in Chile were “a neat, plain, loving and sociable people; very friendly, frank, and easy to become acquainted with,” but the mission trip met with tragedy when the Pratt's month-old son died in January 1852<ref>[http://www.vqronline.org/webexclusive/2007/10/01/cordero-mormon-chile/ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report]</ref>. Hampered by language difficulties and a lack of literature in the Spanish language (selections of the Book of Mormon were not translated into Spanish until 1875<ref>[http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/book_of_mormon/translations.html]</ref>) the missionaries left Chile after four months without having a successful baptism<ref>[http://www.vqronline.org/webexclusive/2007/10/01/cordero-mormon-chile/ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report]</ref>. Pratt used his experience in South America to advise [[Brigham Young]] that the success of future missionary efforts would be based on translations of the scriptures <ref>[http://www.gordonbanks.com/gordon/family/ppprattauto.htm] | Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt</ref>. |
|||
Missionary work in Chile began in earnest in 1956, when the country was made part of the Argentine mission and the first small branch was formed<ref>[http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/contact-us/chile]</ref>. By 1961, the country had 1,100 members and the Chilean mission was organized. The following three decades saw explosive growth in church membership, with the church membership doubling every two years at its peak<ref>[http://www.vqronline.org/webexclusive/2007/10/01/cordero-mormon-chile/ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report]</ref>. The growth sparked a building boom during these decades. Hundreds of LDS chapels were constructed, capped by the dedication of the [[Santiago Chile Temple | Santiago Temple]] in 1993. Church growth continued in the 1990s, with the country showing the greatest growth in LDS membership in South America. Between 1994 and 1996, 26 new stakes were dedicated in the country<ref>[http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/contact-us/chile]</ref>. A second temple, in [[Concepción Chile Temple | Concepción]], was announced in 2009. |
|||
| ⚫ | Although an average of 12,000 people were baptized annually between 1961 and 1990, membership growth has now cooled and the church |
||
| ⚫ | Although an average of 12,000 people were baptized annually between 1961 and 1990, membership growth has now cooled and the church has a large number of inactive members. According to census data, 0.9% of the population claims to be Mormon, based upon those aged 15 and over who identify themselves as Mormon. The LDS web site reports that it has 543,628 members in Chile, which is equal to about 3.3% of the population and if accurate makes it the single largest denomination in Chile after Catholicism.<ref>[http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=783d8fffdd28f010VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d10511154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD LDS membership statistics for Chile]</ref>. LDS statistics counts everyone baptized, including children age eight or older as well as inactive members. Using unofficial sources, the Cumorah Project website estimates that 20% of Chilean members actively attend church services <ref>[http://cumorah.com/index.php?target=main&wid=46]</ref>. The church is now retrenching after its period of high growth and hundreds of units have been decommissioned since 1998 <ref>[http://cumorah.com/index.php?target=main&wid=46]</ref>. In 2002, the church sent Elder [[Jeffrey R. Holland]], a member of the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church) | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]], to remain in Chile for a year to train leadership and minister to the church<ref>[http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58523/Country-information-Chile.html]</ref>. |
||
Jorge F. Zeballos, a former mining engineer, is a Chilean-born LDS [[General Authority]]. He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April, 2008 <ref>[http://www.ldschurchnews.com/leaders/53471/The-First-Quorum-of-the-Seventy.html]</ref>. |
Jorge F. Zeballos, a former mining engineer, is a Chilean-born LDS [[General Authority]]. He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April, 2008 <ref>[http://www.ldschurchnews.com/leaders/53471/The-First-Quorum-of-the-Seventy.html]</ref>. |
||
Revision as of 01:25, 28 June 2010
Chile people are mostly Catholic majority, with an estimated 71% of Chileans belonging to that church. According to census data other declared denominations or groupings include: Protestant or Evangelical (15.1%),The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (3.2%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), Jewish (0.1%), Atheist or Agnostic (8.3%), and other (4.4%). 0.2% are either Baha'i or Muslim. The official data is made by the National Bureau of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile). The last census is from 2002.[1]
Demography
According to the most recent census (2002), 70 percent of the population over age 14 identify as Roman Catholic and 15.1 percent as evangelical. In the census, the term "evangelical" referred to all non-Catholic Christian churches with the exception of the Orthodox Church (Greek, Antiochian, Serbian, Russian, and Armenian), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Approximately 90 percent of evangelicals are Pentecostal. Wesleyan, Lutheran, Reformed Evangelical, Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopalian, Baptist, and Methodist churches are also present.[2]
Groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Bahá'ís, Buddhists, and members of the Unification Church. Of those surveyed, all other religions total 493,147 persons, or 4.4 percent, and atheists and those "indifferent" regarding religion constitute approximately 8.3 percent.[2]
Indigenous people make up 5 percent (780,000) of the population. 65 percent of indigenous people identify themselves as Catholic, 29 percent as evangelical, and 6 percent as "other." Mapuche communities, constituting 87 percent of indigenous citizens, continue to respect traditional religious leaders (Longkos and Machis), and anecdotal information indicates a high degree of syncretism in worship and traditional healing practices.[2]
Members of the largest religious groups (Catholic, Pentecostal, and other evangelical churches) are numerous in the capital and are also found in other regions of the country. Jewish communities are located in Santiago, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Valdivia, Temuco, Concepción, La Serena, and Iquique (although there is no synagogue in Iquique). Mosques are located in Santiago, Iquique, and Coquimbo.[2]
Legal/policy framework
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contribute to the generally free practice of religion. The law at all levels protects this right in full against abuse, either by governmental or private actors.[2]
Church and state are officially separate. The 1999 law on religion prohibits religious discrimination; however, the Catholic Church enjoys a privileged status and occasionally receives preferential treatment. Government officials attend Catholic events and also major Protestant and Jewish ceremonies.[2]
The Government observes Christmas, Good Friday, the Feast of the Virgin of Carmen, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Feast of the Assumption, All Saints' Day, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception as national holidays.[2] The government has also recently declared October 31, a public national holiday, in honor of the Protestant churches of the country.[3][4]
The law allows any religious group to apply for legal public right status (comprehensive religious nonprofit status). The Ministry of Justice may not refuse to accept a registration petition, although it may object to the petition within 90 days on the grounds that all legal prerequisites for registration have not been satisfied. The petitioner then has 60 days to address objections raised by the Ministry or challenge the Ministry in court. Once a religious entity is registered, the state cannot dissolve it by decree. The semiautonomous Council for the Defense of the State may initiate a judicial review; however, no organization that has registered under the 1999 law has subsequently been deregistered.[2]
In addition, the law allows religious entities to adopt a charter and by-laws suited to a religious organization rather than a private corporation. They may establish affiliates (schools, clubs, and sports organizations) without registering them as separate corporations.[2]
During the period covered by this report 516 religious organizations registered under the 1999 law and gained legal public right status, bringing the total to 1,659 registered religious groups. Publicly subsidized schools are required to offer religious education twice a week through high school; participation is optional (with parental waiver). Religious instruction in public schools is almost exclusively Catholic. Teaching the creed requested by parents is mandatory; however, enforcement is sometimes lax, and religious education in faiths other than Catholicism is often provided privately through Sunday schools and at other venues. Local school administrations decide how funds are spent on religious instruction. Although the Ministry of Education has approved curriculums for 14 other denominations, 92 percent of public schools and 81 percent of private schools offered only Catholic instruction. Parents may homeschool their children or enroll them in private schools for religious reasons.[2]
Religious freedom
According to a United States government report, the Chilean government generally respects religious freedom in practice.[2]
The 1999 law on religion grants other religions and denominations the same right that the Catholic Church possesses to have chaplains in public hospitals, prisons, and military units. Hospital regulations continue specifically to permit Catholic chaplains in hospitals, and if requested by a patient, to provide access to chaplains and lay practitioners of other religions. There were 35 Catholic chapels, 40 paid Catholic chaplains, 25 volunteer Catholic chaplains, and 1,200 religious or lay volunteers authorized to conduct Catholic religious activities in the prison system. There were approximately 9 paid evangelical Christian chaplain positions at the national level, 90 volunteer chaplains, and more than 1,200 evangelical Christian volunteers representing 82 evangelical denominations conducting religious activities in the prison system. Non-Catholic pastors reported that their access to prisons and hospitals continued to improve during 2007/2008.[2]
The celebration of a Catholic Mass frequently marks official and public events. If the event is of a military nature, all members of the participating units may be obliged to attend. Membership in the Catholic Church is considered beneficial to a military career.[2]
There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees in the country.[2]
Catholicism
There are about eleven million Catholics - around 70% of the total population (16.500.000 in 2008). There are 5 archidioceses, 18 dioceses, 2 territorial prelatures, 1 apostolic vicariate, 1 military ordinariate and a personal prelature (Opus Dei).
Catholicism was introduced by priests with the Spanish colonialists in the 16th century. Most of the native population in the northern and central regions was evangelized by 1650. The southern area proved more difficult. In the 20th century, church expansion was impeded by a shortage of clergy and government attempts to control church administration. Relations between church and state were strained under Salvador Allende and Augusto Pinochet.
Protestantism
Protestants represent 15% of Chilean people. Protestants first arrived in the first half of the nineteenth century, with American missionary David Trumbull[5] and with German immigrants from Protestant parts of Germany, mainly Lutherans. Later came Anglicans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and other Protestant Christians.
First seventh-Day Adventist missionaries first arrived in 1895[6], today there are estimated 126,814 Adventists in Chile. Jehovah's Witnesses make up 1% of the population.
Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has flourished in Chile for the past forty years, becoming, by some estimates, the second largest church in the country.
Early apostle Parley P. Pratt was among the first Mormon missionaries to preach in Chile, landing in Valparaiso in November, 1851, along with Elder Rufus Allen and Phoebe Sopher, one of Pratt's wives, who was pregnant at the time. The mission party was impressed by the Chilean countryside and people. Pratt wrote that the people he met in Chile were “a neat, plain, loving and sociable people; very friendly, frank, and easy to become acquainted with,” but the mission trip met with tragedy when the Pratt's month-old son died in January 1852[7]. Hampered by language difficulties and a lack of literature in the Spanish language (selections of the Book of Mormon were not translated into Spanish until 1875[8]) the missionaries left Chile after four months without having a successful baptism[9]. Pratt used his experience in South America to advise Brigham Young that the success of future missionary efforts would be based on translations of the scriptures [10].
Missionary work in Chile began in earnest in 1956, when the country was made part of the Argentine mission and the first small branch was formed[11]. By 1961, the country had 1,100 members and the Chilean mission was organized. The following three decades saw explosive growth in church membership, with the church membership doubling every two years at its peak[12]. The growth sparked a building boom during these decades. Hundreds of LDS chapels were constructed, capped by the dedication of the Santiago Temple in 1993. Church growth continued in the 1990s, with the country showing the greatest growth in LDS membership in South America. Between 1994 and 1996, 26 new stakes were dedicated in the country[13]. A second temple, in Concepción, was announced in 2009.
Although an average of 12,000 people were baptized annually between 1961 and 1990, membership growth has now cooled and the church has a large number of inactive members. According to census data, 0.9% of the population claims to be Mormon, based upon those aged 15 and over who identify themselves as Mormon. The LDS web site reports that it has 543,628 members in Chile, which is equal to about 3.3% of the population and if accurate makes it the single largest denomination in Chile after Catholicism.[14]. LDS statistics counts everyone baptized, including children age eight or older as well as inactive members. Using unofficial sources, the Cumorah Project website estimates that 20% of Chilean members actively attend church services [15]. The church is now retrenching after its period of high growth and hundreds of units have been decommissioned since 1998 [16]. In 2002, the church sent Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to remain in Chile for a year to train leadership and minister to the church[17].
Jorge F. Zeballos, a former mining engineer, is a Chilean-born LDS General Authority. He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April, 2008 [18].
Islam
The statistics for Islam in Chile estimate a total Muslim population of 3,196, representing 0.02 percent of the population. Islam enjoys a long history in Chile. According to Chronicles of the History of Chile by Aurelio Díaz Meza, there was a man in the expedition of discoverer Diego de Almagro, called Pedro de Gasco who was a morisco, or Moor from al-Andalus in Spain who was forced to convert from Islam to Catholicism. In Santiago, the first Islamic institution of Chile, the Society of Muslim Union of Chile (Sociedad Unión Musulmana), was founded on 25 September 1926. Later, on 16 October 1927, the Society of Mutual Aids and Islamic Charity was established. Sources of the Islamic community indicate that at the moment, in Chile, there are 3,000 Muslims. Many of those are Chileans who, as a result of their conversion, have even changed their names.
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith in Chile begins with references to Chile in Bahá'í literature as early as 1916, with the first Bahá'ís visiting the country as early as 1919. A functioning community wasn't founded in Chile until 1940 with the beginning of the arrival of coordinated pioneers from the United States finding national Chilean converts and achieved an independent national community in 1963. In 2002 this community was picked for the establishment of the first Bahá'í Temple of South America which the community is still prosecuting.[19] The US government estimated 6000 Bahá'ís in Chile as of 2007[20] though the Association of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 25,000 Bahá'ís in 2005.[21]
Irreligion
Of the Chilean population, 8.3% are either atheist or agnostic.
See also
References
- ^ INE 2002 Census data.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Chile - International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. 2008-09-19.
- ^ http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12564066&fsrc=rss
- ^ "Los evangélicos tienen su feriado". BBC News. 2008-10-31. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ^ http://libweb.ptsem.edu/collections/ead/trumbull_david.html
- ^ Adventist Atlas
- ^ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report
- ^ [1]
- ^ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report
- ^ [2] | Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt
- ^ [3]
- ^ The Biggest Little Mormon Country in the World | Kristina Cordero | The Virginia Quarterly Report
- ^ [4]
- ^ LDS membership statistics for Chile
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ Lamb, Artemus (1995). The Beginnings of the Bahá'í Faith in Latin America:Some Remembrances, English Revised and Amplified Edition. 1405 Killarney Drive, West Linn OR, 97068, United States of America: M L VanOrman Enterprises.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2007-09-14). "International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Chile". State Department. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Most Baha'i Nations (2005)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-04.