Religion in Colombia
| Religion in Colombia (2022) |
|---|
| Catholic (70.2%) Protestant (16.8%) Irreligion (11.1%) Another (9 per cent) |
Colombia is a country whose constitution establishes, as of 1991, the separation of Church and State. Although religious freedom exists in the country, since the labor code of the American Indian in colonial times, the Catholic Church maintains de facto and de jure privileges, since the Concordat between the Colombian State and the Catholic Church consecrated Catholicism as the official religion in the country from 1886 until the promulgation of freedom of worship in 1991. However, and as a result of more than a century of religious domination of the Catholicism, most of its inhabitants still declare themselves to belong to that church.
Although the state does not keep official statistics on the religious identity of citizens, the Pew Research Center published a study in 2014 that puts Catholics at 90%, Protestants at 4%, irreligious at 6%, and other religions at 2%. However, there are various estimates from independent and non-independent sources that vary widely, placing believers in Protestant and Pentecostal churches (the second largest after the Catholic Church) at percentages of believers from 14% to 35% of the total population in Colombia. A 2019 study conducted by the National University of Colombia, World Vision and the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission places Catholicism at 57.2%, Protestant diversity at 20.4%, unaffiliated believers 13.2%, agnostics and atheists 6.3%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, Adventists 1% and other religions 0.9%. The most recent survey carried out by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) between October and December of the year 2021 gave as a result that Catholics are 78.2%, Protestants 9.6%, believers in a Higher Being but without religious affiliation would be 7.5%, believers in Eastern religions would be around 0.8 %, Jehovah's Witnesses with 0.7%, and agnostics and atheists with 0.4%.
Major religions
The main religions in Colombia are Catholicism with 88.2% according to figures from the aforementioned study from the National University. For its part, the Ministerial Church of God of Jesus Christ International, the Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, the Colombian Old Church and Pentecostals in general, would have 7%, churches that have multiplied in recent decades and have each strength.[citation needed] There are also members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church), Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Congregation Jehovah's Witnesses and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
Diverse calculations have shown that in Colombia the Roman Catholic Church has more than 5,500 places of worship, the United Pentecostal Church of Colombia around 3,200, the Assemblies of God 1,204, Jehovah's Witnesses 1,204, the Student Crusade 708, the Church of God Ministerial of Jesus Christ International about 500, LDS Church 264, World Revival Center 46, and House on the Rock 42.
History of religions in Colombia
Indigenous
There were several religious expressions in the Amerindian peoples of present-day Colombia before the arrival of the Spanish, especially in the Andean zone associated with the peoples of the Chibcha or Muisca family. The stories of a sacred court show a varied cosmology.
Catholicism
The preponderance of the Catholic Church Catholicism has deep roots in the processes of the Conquest of Colombia, conquest and colonization by Spain after 1492. In this process, the imposition of a European culture of a Catholic nature determined the exclusion of any other manifestation religious on Colombian soil. The 16th century was also a time of deep socio-political convulsions in Europe with the confrontation between Catholics faithful to the Roman Pontiff and the followers of the Protestant Reformation initiated by Luther and John Calvin Calvin. That not only influenced the attitude of the Spanish conquerors in their new overseas domains, also causing the establishment in Cartagena de Indias of the Spanish Inquisition, in order to safeguard religious-cultural orthodoxy. On the other hand, the Tridentine Council of Trent and Baroque Baroque influences gave a particular seal to Catholicism established in the country, still present in contemporary times.
During the independence process of Colombia that began at the beginning of the 19th century, various Creole clergymen sympathized with the patriot cause and actively participated as agitators, chaplains, and even soldiers. Several of them even came to join Freemasonry whose lodges were established in those years with great acceptance from the local elites. After a hesitant process, the Holy See recognized the new independent state in 1835 and established formal relations with it, also initiating a process of ecclesiastical romanization. At the same time, the liberal elites in power pressed for the establishment of a state that was increasingly free from ecclesiastical influence, which caused power clashes with the clerical institution that was not willing to give up its space in society.
It is worth clarifying that this event occurred in the context of the struggle between federalists and centralists, those of a liberal school influenced by the French Revolution, these of a conservative nature, faithful to the Spanish heritage of military honor and clericalism; conflict that would later trigger one of the civil wars of the 19th century that the young republic lived through, a period known as the Patria Boba. In this conflict, episodes stand out such as the expropriation of ecclesiastical property, carried out by Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera in 1861-63, the declaration of custody of cults (1861), estrangement of bishops, suppression of religious communities (1861) or the expulsion of the Jesuits (twice: 1851 and 1861). Finally, the radical government's attempts to establish a "neutral" in religious matters it degenerated into a civil war (1877) in which several bishops and clergymen actively participated. From 1886 the relations between both powers were regularized again with the establishment of a new centralist constitution, which recognized the Catholic Church as the foundation of national unity.
In 1887, a concordat was signed with the Holy See, in which control of the Colombian educational system was granted to the ecclesiastical institution, a privilege that it maintained until the concordat reform of 1973, while restoring the lands and goods that were taken from him during the confiscation promoted by the radicals; the aristocratic government of Rafael Núñez would pay the Catholic Church a very high indemnity, while social problems and the internal struggle between liberals and conservatives increased, an event known as the Thousand Days War.
Inquisition
In America, the Inquisition was imposed by Felipe II, in 1570, and had three jurisdictional centers: Mexico, Lima and Cartagena. The cases that were judged were quite a few, although the indigenous people were excluded from the punishment imposed, because, being new to the faith, they did not have the theological maturity to avoid making mistakes. Contrary to the opinion of most historians, the defendants themselves were few, and even fewer were sentenced to death or corporal punishment. In New Granada, the Inquisition was also in charge of suppressing the spread of pagan traditions among blacks and condemning literary works that violated the dogmas of the Catholic Church.
Protestantism
The break in the total hegemony of Catholicism began to take place timidly with the arrival -sponsored by the liberals- in the mid-19th century of the Presbyterian Church, which operated mainly among wealthy urban sectors. At the beginning of the 20th century, other historic Protestant churches arrived, such as Baptists, Mennonites and Evangelicals. Between 1932 and 1945 the first Pentecostal denominations entered, giving rise to a great confrontation between the vast Catholic majority and the first evangelicals, many myths being woven around the latter with the aim of discrediting them, such as that they were guilty of communism and violence in in general, even being physically attacked in their places of worship, and outside of them. But it is from the 60s, thanks to social, economic and cultural changes that occur in the country -modernization, urbanization, literacy, among others-, that the religious panorama begins to change visibly. From the United States came Pentecostalism, of a fundamentalist and proselytizing nature, with growing acceptance, especially among popular groups. Other churches and new religious movements of Christian origin also make their appearance, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. During the last 3 decades of the 20th century, the vast majority of evangelical Christian denominations and mega-churches that exist in the country today emerged. This emergence was fostered by the change in regulations that occurred since the 1991 constitution, where full freedom of worship.
Churches in Colombia
Although the publicly accessible database of the Ministry of the Interior is updated up to 2012, there is a report from said entity that in 2015 reported the existence of 5,375 churches with legal status. On the other hand, the media communication have reported that as of 2019 there is information on the existence of more than 6,000 legally registered Christian churches throughout the national territory. The following will mention the denominations of all kinds, the largest by attendance in Colombia:
- Church of God Ministerial of Jesus Christ International
- Bethesda Mission Center
- Home About La Roca
- World Revival Centre
- Church The Place of Your Presence
- International Charismatic Mission
- Rios de Vida Church
- Church of Jesus Christ of the Last Day Saints
- Jehovah ' s Witnesses
- Christian Crusade Church
- Assemblies of God
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
- Quadrangular Church
- Peace Mission Church to the nations.
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
- United Pentecostal Church of Colombia
Political participation of religious groups
Conservative Party
The Colombian Constitution of 1886 established the union between the state and the Catholic Church. Until the first decades of the 20th century, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Colombia exerted great influence on the Colombian Conservative Party, however, said interference has greatly diminished to the point of being practically imperceptible. The global secularization process also permeated Colombian politics.
Denominational plurality
Article 19 of the Colombian Constitution of 1991 guarantees freedom of religion and also states that "Everyone has the right to freely profess their religion and to spread it individually or collectively& #3. 4;. Article 19 also clarifies that "All religious denominations and churches are equally free before the law". In this way, the Colombian State, regarding its political creed, enters in full tone with democratic development and gives free and active participation to all religious creeds present in Colombia in accordance with civil law and the duties and rights of the common citizen. On the other hand, religious groups can determine the form of political participation according to the law within their own organizational schemes.
This gave rise to an active political participation in Protestant Christianity from 1991, initially given that the Conservative Party was traditionally perceived as close to the Catholic hierarchy, then they began their journey in the antagonist of conservatism, the Colombian Liberal Party; Likewise, they began the constitution of collectives such as the Movimiento de Unidad Cristiana -MUC-, the Partido Nacional Cristiano -PNC-, the Front of Hope -FE-, the Christian Civic Commitment to the Community -C4-, and the MIRA Party. Getting to put several of their pastors and / or representatives in the Congress of the Republic, departmental Assemblies and municipal councils. As of 2006, as a result of continuous political reforms that have increased the minimum number of votes for the different communities to retain their legal status, the only confessional party that existed in Colombia until 2018 was the MIRA Party, however representatives of various aspects of Protestant Christianity run for elected positions in different non-denominational parties. And in 2018 the Protestant Christian party Colombia Justa Libres was formed.
Religious Sector Coalition
In September 2021, the coalition Nos Une Colombia was formed between the Christian parties Colombia Justa Libres and MIRA, to participate in the 2022 legislative elections presenting joint lists to the Senate and the Chamber in more than 7 departments or constituencies, constituting the first political coalition of the religious sector in Colombia.
Ecumenical movements
Although the genesis of the Colombian nation from the Colony to the Republic lived largely linked to the lordship of a single religion, two events broke this single-religious scheme: the first was the celebration of the Second Vatican Council convened by Pope John XXIII and which had its first most evident effect in Colombia with the visit of Pope Paul VI and the opening of the II General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate held in Medellín (1968), through which the Catholic Church enters into dialogue with the world and abandons an exclusive attitude towards other creeds and ways of thinking expressed in the Pastoral Constitution Gauidum et Spes (Decree of the Second Vatican Council). The second fact comes instead from the civil party with the proclamation of a new Political Constitution in Colombia of a more modern nature in which freedom of religion is guaranteed once and for all. From these events, the birth of the Ecumenical Movements in Colombia is defined, which in the world have developed since the beginning of the 20th century with the creation of dialogues between the different Christian churches. For example, at the international level, a few Colombians have been active in ecumenical groups such as the Taizé Community.
Ecumenical meetings in Colombia are therefore not strange, but they have their difficulties, especially with the proliferation of denominations and new religious movements, for which reason ecumenical dialogue has not managed to achieve relevant unions between diverse religious aspects.
Political-religious persecutions
The secularism that tends towards the Church/State separation generated by the French Revolution and the Independence of the United States, resulted in the creation of a society that at its base becomes "less religious" and that circumscribes the religious sphere to the privacy of the individual or group. This separation is not peaceful at all: What was previously considered the domain of religion is taken over by the civil State that regulates the life of the citizen and brings into crisis what religion considers its sphere. Discussions such as abortion, euthanasia, marriage between people of the same sex, and other current issues, are the battlefields between a civil and non-religious State and between groups that are governed by theological norms.
In addition, the socio-political conflicts in Colombia have not left religious issues out. The presence of organized forms of religion in those areas where the State does not reach (marginalized areas, forgotten populations, among others), means that religious groups and leaders frequently meet with the actors of the armed conflict in Colombia and that many pastors, clergy and religious suffer the consequences of violence.
On the other hand, although there are ecumenical efforts, they have not been successful, which is why the proliferation of denominations and new religious movements, especially since 1991, has led to coexistence conflicts.
All of the above fostered a breeding ground for high social intolerance, which led to Colombia becoming the only country in all of America in the ranking of the 50 most dangerous nations for Christians in 2014.
In 2015, the study by the National University of Colombia on intolerance, persecution and religious discrimination in Bogotá showed that 33.3% of religious leaders have suffered some intentional damage in their place of worship, 12.6% have suffered threats against his life or physical integrity, and on 10.35 he suffered some physical attack.
Religious freedom
So much hostility led to intense socio-political work, especially among non-traditional religious groups with a view to guaranteeing religious freedom in Colombia. Religious diversity was recognized in 1991 in the new Colombian constitution, which declared the country plural in the cultural, ethnic, and religious spheres.
In recent years there has been a strong process of internationalization of some Christian organizations that emerged in Colombia, the most relevant case being the Ministerial Church with an expanding presence in more than 103 countries on 5 continents.
In 2012, the media in Colombia and internationally published the news headlined "The Pope is concerned about the penetration of Pentecostals in Colombia" where Benedict XVI acknowledged the impact culture of Pentecostals in the idiosyncrasies of this country. Benedict XVI affirmed that "Whereas years ago it was possible to recognize a unitary cultural fabric... [based on Catholicism] Increasing religious pluralism is a factor that demands serious consideration. The increasingly active presence of Pentecostal and Evangelical communities, not only in Colombia, but also in many regions of Latin America, cannot be ignored or underestimated"
Religious Freedom Day The fight for religious freedom had as a transcendental consequence for the religious sector that in 2016 President Juan Manuel Santos decreed July 4 of each year as National Day of Religious Freedom and Cults, to commemorate the respect and equality of religions and cults in Colombia.
Religious education
Religious education in Colombia was, since the time of the conquest and colony, mainly under the direction of the Catholic Church, although currently other confessions in development of Law 133 of Freedom of Cults have created other institutions of a Christian educational nature.
Thanks to the constitution of 1991, Colombia enjoys a non-denominational education, where all government educational establishments are prohibited from showing inclination to a specific religion. Although in practice this is ignored by almost all establishments, since preference is given to the Catholic religion.
Featured populations
Some Colombian populations stand out either for their religious activity, or for the cultural, historical and social traces that the practices have left.
Bogota
The Colombian capital, Bogotá, has a great Catholic tradition that can be seen in the number of temples such as the Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Bogotá and Primada de Colombia, built in the historic center of the city, and customs such as the ascent to the tutelary hills of Monserrate and Guadalupe, on whose tops there are Catholic temples. Likewise, it has Shrines such as the Church of the Divine Child Jesus, in the Veinte de Julio neighborhood (in the town of San Cristóbal), which thousands of pilgrims attend every Sunday, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in the town of La Candelaria, which is famous because on its July festivity many transporters from the country attend to receive the blessing of their vehicles.
On the other hand, in the city there are different Protestant churches, which vary in denomination and where neo-Pentecostal mega-churches such as the Charismatic Mission, El Lugar de Su Presencia, Avivamiento, among others, stand out. Also in the Capital District, the Temple of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at Carrera 46 with Av. Rodrigo Lara Bonilla and the Iglesia de Dios Ministerial de Jesucristo Internacional have several prayer rooms. This is how today, Bogotá is a sample of the great religious diversity that is perceived in Colombia, from the Constitution of 1991.
Tunja
In Tunja, capital of the department of Boyacá, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built and dedicated a chapel in a mixed colonial and modern architectural style, it is located near the forest of the republic. Its Catholic Holy Week is, together with that of Popayán, the most important in the country.
Sachica
The sculptures alluding to the sun and the moon as a tribute to the indigenous gods, the monasteries and Catholic temples, as well as the prayer room of the Church of God Ministerial of Jesus Christ International, ratify Sáchica as The Jerusalem of Colombia.
Chiquinquira
Located in the department of Boyacá, Chiquinquirá is home to the main Marian sanctuary of the Catholic Church in Colombia. Thousands of pilgrims permanently visit the basilica to honor an image of the Virgin Mary that was restored after the prayers of a woman, María Ramos, in 1586. Since then, the life of the municipality has been linked to the sanctuary and the devotion that the people profess. by the Virgin Mary, represented in the painting, who has almost uninterruptedly guarded the Dominican Order.
St. Rose of Bears
For its part, in 1917 the diocese of Santa Rosa de Osos, Antioquia, was established by order of Pope Benedict XV, appointing Monseñor Maximiliano Crespo as its first Bishop. Around 1924, Miguel Ángel Builes Gómez, (Missionary Bishop of Colombia), assumed the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Osos directing its destinies for more than forty years, and who also founded three religious communities of great importance for the Catholic Church. Perhaps that is why Santa Rosa de Osos acquired the nickname "The Religious City". Its history is full of facts and characters that defined its Catholic vocation and, for this reason, many of its attractions have to do with religious tourism: the Cathedral, chapels and monuments that show the fervor that has characterized the people of Santa Rosa.
Saint Andrew
In short, it was through the island of San Andrés that the first Protestant missionaries entered Colombia, at the beginning of the 19th century, and there, in 1847, the first Baptist Church in South America was erected, called Emmanuel. Pine wood brought from Alabama, in the United States, was used to build the Emanuel Church. From the very center of San Andrés, it stands out in the distance, when seen from any point around the island, since its roof is red and it is located on the highest part of the island called the hill. The Hill.
Ipiales
In the 18th century, the Las Lajas Sanctuary was built in Ipiales, Nariño on a bridge, a temple of constant local pilgrimage, which is an international tourist site.
Grass
Capital of the department of Nariño, it is a city of important religious relevance, and of history with its constant presence. Its numerous temples and churches allowed it to be called Theological City of Colombia. In 1839 the government of José Ignacio de Márquez decreed the suppression of religious centers with less than 8 members, causing a rebellion led by Francisco de la Villota y Barrera, superior of the congregation of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri, who opposed this measure. which was supported by the people of Pasto, a situation that various politicians and soldiers in opposition to the government took advantage of to rise up at the national level, degenerating into the War of the Supreme Court. Later, in the Thousand Days War (1899-1902), the Spanish priest Ezequiel Moreno y Díaz Bishop of Pasto, incited the population to support the conservative, confessional government, in the form of Holy War during the uprising of the liberals, who were trying to invade the country from the south, supported by the Ecuadorian liberal president, Eloy Alfaro. Religious support for the government was fundamental and did not allow the introduction of the liberal army in the region, and probably influenced the outcome of the war at the national level (conservative victory).
Popayán and El Cerrito
Other relevant cities are Popayán in Cauca, known as the Jerusalem of America, and El Cerrito in Valle del Cauca, whose Holy Week celebrations are nationally and internationally renowned.
Maicao
The municipality of Maicao, in La Guajira, has the Omar Ibn Al-Jattab Mosque inaugurated in September 1997. It is the third largest mosque in South America.
Fonts
- BELTRAN, William Mauricio. From religious microenterprises to faith multinationals: the diversification of Christianity in BogotáBogota, University of San Buenaventura, 2006.
- BIDEGAIN, Ana María (ed.) History of Christianity in Colombia. Currents and diversity. Bogotá, Taurus, 2004
- BIDEGAIN, Ana María y Demera, Juan Diego (ed.). Globalization and religious diversity. Bogotá, Editions Unibiblos, 2005.
- MORA, Julián, Bogotá, Universidad de la Salle "Christianism in Colombia".