Religion in Argentina
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Template:Argentina main topics About ninety percent of the population of Argentina is Roman Catholic; two percent are Protestant, and another two percent are Jewish. In the last decades, as in the rest of Latin America, there has also been a rise in Evangelical movements, which have mostly gathered converts from Catholicism in the lower classes.
Although Catholicism is part of the cultural heritage of most Argentinians, only twenty percent of them attend church on a regular basis, and few align strictly to Catholic mandates (such as those on contraception). These nominal Catholics attend church for weddings, funerals and major religious feasts, if at all. Catholic practices (especially in the non-central areas) incorporate a great deal of syncretism; for example, religious festivals in the north-western provinces feature Catholic icons in (or along with) ancient Andean pagan ceremonies.
Although Jews only account for two percent of Argentina's population, Buenos Aires has the second largest population of Jewish people in the Americas. The Argentine Jewish community has been the target of two major actions of terrorism: the bombing of the AMIA and the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.
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Popular cults
Besides traditional religious practices, there are also a number of unconventional practices, usually part of local folklore. One of the most famous is the veneration of La Difunta Correa ("The Deceased Correa").
Deolinda Correa was a woman whose husband fought in the civil war in 1840. Correa, along with her infant son, followed her husband's battalion. While in San Juan, Correa suffered from starvation and thirst, and eventually died as a result. A group of soldiers found her body a few days afterwards, her son still alive and nursing from her breast. Because of this apparent miracle, people built shrines in her name in Vallecito, where she is buried. Her followers believe that Deolinda Correa has supernatural powers, and each year they make a pilgrimage to her grave, where they present gifts and plastic bottles of water to thank her for miracles that they believe she granted.
Another popular cult is that of the Gauchito Gil ("the little gaucho Gil", Antonio Mamerto Gil Núñez), born in the province of Corrientes (allegedly in 1847). Gil was forced to enlist to fight in the civil war, but he deserted and became an outlaw à la Robin Hood.
Legal status
The Preamble of the Argentine Constitution reflects the (probably deistic) beliefs of the crafters, ending the statement of the Constitution's goals "invoking the protection of God, source of all reason and justice".
The Constitution includes several references to religion. The 14th article, which summarizes the rights of the citizens, includes religious freedom: "All the inhabitants of the nation are entitled to the following rights: ... to freely profess their cult...".
The 93th article allows for the president and the vice-president taking office to swear their oath before Congress "respecting their religious beliefs".
The Roman Catholic Church is Argentina's state religion. The state grants special privileges to it, based on the second article of the Constitution:
- El Gobierno federal sostiene el culto católico, apostólico, romano.
- "The Federal Government supports the Apostolic Roman Catholic cult."
Officially speaking, this support is economic (the federal state pays a salary to bishops and cardinals) as well as institutional (for example, the military structures have special posts for Catholic chaplains). The state also subsidizes many private schools, most of which are affiliated with the Catholic Church.
The Constitution used to state that the president must be a Roman Catholic. This requirement was removed from the text in the 1994 constitutional reform.
State/religion relations in history
The protocol of the Argentine government has always been influenced by the Catholic Church. Bishops often have a place along ministers, governors and other officials in patriotic ceremonies. On the celebration of the May Revolution, the president along with his wife and ministers is expected to attend the Te Deum celebrated by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
President Raúl Alfonsín (1983-1989) had a rough relationship with the Church because of his support of the divorce law (before the law was passed, a married couple could only choose to be separated de facto).
President Carlos Menem was linked to conservative Vatican interest groups (such as the Opus Dei) and was a staunch supporter of the Church's position on abortion, for what he was awarded a special decoration by Pope John Paul II, even while he was heavily criticized by prominent bishops because of the poverty and unemployment caused by his economic measures.
President Fernando de la Rúa was also a devout Catholic, and did not have major problems dealing with the Church.
Latest conflicts
President Néstor Kirchner, while professing belief in the Catholic faith, has often had a troubled relationship with the hierarchy of the Church. Kirchner belongs to the center-left of Peronism and has placed emphasis on certain progressive views that do not go well with some conservative Catholics.
The Argentine national government passed laws and began a program to the effect of providing assistance on sex education to all citizens, including the provision of free oral contraceptives and condoms. The Church opposes artificial contraception and has placed conditions on its acceptance of sex education in schools.
In 2005, the minister of Health, Ginés González García, made public his support for the legalization of abortion, and Kirchner's silence on the matter angered the Church. The military vicar Mons. Antonio Baseotto expressed his disgust by paraphrasing Mark 9:42 ("And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea") and suggesting that González García should be given that treatment. Besides the inappropriate usage of scripture (widely acknowledge as such even by other Catholic bishops), Baseotto was heavily criticized because this "punishment" echoes the infamous vuelos de la muerte ("flights of death") whereby prisoners of the last military regime were thrown into the Atlantic from planes. The conflict escalated and caused the Argentine government to relieve Baseotto from his job as the head of the military chaplains. This prompted accusations on the part of Catholic observers (also fueled by right-wing opposition leaders and media) that such actions threatened religious freedom. The government pointed out that Baseotto is still a bishop and may celebrate Mass and perform pastoral duties wherever he chooses — he will simply not be on the payroll of the state.
President Kirchner was also criticized for not attending the funeral of Pope John Paul II (he did attend the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI), which took place when the above conflict was still in the spotlight of the media. On the celebration of 25 May 2005, Kirchner chose not to attend the Buenos Aires Te Deum but the one celebrated in the Cathedral of Santiago del Estero, where other public celebrations of the day were also moved. This absence of the President did not go unnoticed (it was the first such occasion in 175 years), but the government denied a political intention behind it, except the need to "federalize" the celebration.
External links
- The Argentine Constitution (http://www.egobierno.gov.ar/municipios/ver.asp?MID=5&tipo=nota&id=326) (in Spanish)
- U.S. Department of State - 2004 Annual Report for International Religious Freedom: Argentina (http://www.raoulwallenberg.net/?en/interfaith/reports/1754.htm)
- Religious Freedom World Report - Argentina (http://www.religiousfreedom.com/wrpt/Latam/argentina.htm)