Catholic Church in Chile
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CECH | |
---|---|
Pope | Francis |
President | Fernando Chomalí Garib |
Apostolic Nuncio | Alberto Ortega Martín |
Region | Chile |
Language | Spanish, Latin |
Founder | Rodrigo González de Marmolejo |
Members | 8,236,900 (2012) |
Official website | iglesia.cl |
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The Catholic Church in Chile is part of the worldwide
The Church is composed of 5
The Catholic Church in Chile has had a complex relationship with the Chilean state, particularly during the latter half of the 20th century, with the government of Salvador Allende and the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. The influence of liberation theology and political ideologies also contributed to internal disagreements and changing Church attitudes.
In 2012, 66.6%[1] of Chilean population over 15 years of age claimed to be of Catholic creed – a decrease from the 70% reported by the 2002 census.[2] A report in 2021 indicated that this number had further declined to 42%, a record low.(Encuesta Nacional Bicentenario 2021)[3] The Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Chile, especially Karadima case which came to light in 2010 and led to Karadima's conviction in 2011, had a strongly negative influence on Chilean public opinion of the Church.[4] Chilean trust in the Catholic Church plummeted from 61% in 2010 to 38% in 2011, and 36% in 2017; the lowest of any Latin American country.[4] The percentage of Chileans who called themselves Catholic also steadily decreased from 73% in 2007 to 45% in 2017.[4]
History
Catholicism was introduced by
The Church in the 1970s and 80s
Presidency of Salvador Allende
Relations between Church and state were complicated during the Socialist
During the Allende administration and immediately preceding it, supportive elements of the Chilean Catholic Church did not limit themselves to declarations of solidarity with the poor or the government—they also performed it through material acts. During this time, some nuns and priests were already living and working with the poor (as a result of evangelization efforts undertaken by the Church to address the widespread lack of clergy across Latin America or through their own volition) in order to better serve the people and understand their reality; one example took the form of Father Ignacio Pujadas, who formed a
Pinochet dictatorship
Under the
The legacy of Christians for Socialism, which the dictatorship had also suppressed, contributed to the Catholic Church's stance against the dictatorship and increasing involvement with the poor.[7] As well, Christian Base Communities had a role in facilitating the widespread protests in Chile that began on May 11, 1983, and continued throughout the decade.[10] Individual priests also played significant roles during the dictatorship, notably Father Pierre DuBois and Father André Jarlan, who worked together in the parish house of the La Victoria población where Jarlan was killed by police who fired at the building on September 4, 1984.[11] Jarlan became a figure of national significance during the 1980s and even after his memory faded in the 1990s, he remained significant in La Victoria. Jarlan's image as a priest of the people was an example of the influence of liberationist Catholicism during the dictatorship.[11]
Demographics
Catholic demographics estimates | |
---|---|
Year | % Chileans self-identifying as Catholic |
2002 | 70% (2012 census)[2] |
2007 | 73% (Latinobarómetro)[4] |
2012 | 66.6% (2012 census)[1] |
2017 | 45% (Latinobarómetro)[4] |
2021 | 42% (Encuesta Nacional Bicentenario 2021)[3] |
Education
There are six Catholic universities in the country: Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception, Catholic University of the Maule, Catholic University of the North, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Temuco Catholic University and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, ranked No. 1 university in Chile and No. 2 in Latin America, according to QS Latin American University Rankings.[12]
Several religious orders sponsor a number of secondary and primary schools. One of the most famous is Saint George's College, run by the Congregation of Holy Cross. One third of the CEO's of the top 200 companies of Chile are alumni of Saint George's College.
Episcopal conference
Conferencia Episcopal de Chile | |
Abbreviation | CECh |
---|---|
Formation | 1957 |
Type | Episcopal conference |
Purpose | To support the ministry of bishops |
Headquarters | Santiago |
Region served | Chile |
Membership | Active and retired Catholic bishops of Chile |
President | Fernando Chomalí |
Website | iglesia.cl |
The Episcopal Conference of Chile (Spanish: Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, CECh) is an agency of the
This body is responsible for discerning proposed major guidelines regarding evangelization and religious education in Chile, which continuously focuses on topics like how to evangelize, the socio-economic problems the country and other short-term.
The President of the Conference is Bishop Santiago Jaime Silva Retamales, Military Ordinary Bishop of Chile. He was elected in 2016.
On 18 May 2018 every member of the Chilean Episcopal conference offered his resignation to Pope Francis after he had summoned them to Rome to discuss the sexual abuse scandal rocking the Chilean church. Unless and until the Pope accepts these resignations the members of the conference continue in their positions.[13] By 28 June 2018, Pope Francis accepted the resignations of five of Chile's 34 Bishops.[14] On 14 August 2018, Chilean police raided the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference.[15]
- List of conference presidents
- Jose Maria Caro(1957–1958)
- Alfredo Silva Santiago (1958–1962)
- Raúl Silva Henríquez (1962–1968)
- Jose Manuel Santos (1968–1971)
- Raúl Silva Henríquez (1971–1975)
- Juan Francisco Fresno (1975–1977)
- Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos (1978–1979)
- Jose Manuel Santos (1980–1983)
- Bernardino Piñera (1984–1987)
- Carlos Gonzalez Cruchaga(1988–1992)
- Fernando Ruiz Ariztía (1993–1995)
- Carlos Oviedo Cavada (1995–1998)
- Ariztía Fernando Ruiz (1998)
- Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa(1999–2004)
- Alejandro Goic Karmelic(2004–2010)
- S.D.B. (2010–2016)[16]
- Santiago Silva Retamales (2016–2021)[17]
- Celestino Aós Braco (2021–2023)[18]
- Fernando Chomalí Garib (2023–)
See also
- Apostolic Nuncio to Chile
- Clergy removed from office
- Episcopal Conference of Chile
- List of Catholic dioceses in Chile
- Juventud Parroquial Chilena
- CELAM)
Sources
Footnotes
- ^ a b 8 236 900 out of 12 366 108 people over 15 years of age. "Population 15 years of age or older, by religion, region, sex and age groups. (censused population)". Censo 2012 (in Spanish). Archived from the original (.xls) on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ a b 7 853 428 out of 11 226 309 people over 15 years of age. "Population 15 years of age or older, by religion, administrative division, sex and age groups" (.pdf). Censo 2002 (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Encuesta Nacional Bicentenario 2021: Religión"
- ^ a b c d e "Cifra de chilenos que se declaran católicos bajó de 73% a 45% en la última década". 24Horas.cl (in Spanish). 12 January 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ OCLC 1170509102.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ OCLC 638127248.
- ^ S2CID 161780910.
- ^ S2CID 146399235.
- ^ a b Alexei Barrionuevo, A Serene Advocate for Chile's Disappeared, New York Times, 22 January 2010, 5.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8223-8854-8.
- ^ OCLC 1236196379.
- ^ http://www.topuniversities,com/universities/country/Chile[permanent dead link], 2019
- ^ O'Connell, Gerard (18 May 2018), "All of Chile's bishops offer resignations after meeting pope on abuse", America, New York City: America Press, Inc., retrieved 18 May 2018
- ^ "Pope accepts two more bishops' resignations in Chile - CatholicHerald.co.uk". 28 June 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ "Chile police raid Catholic church HQ in sex abuse investigation". the Guardian. Associated Press. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ "Cardenal Ezzati deja la presidencia de Conferencia Episcopal". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 10 November 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- ^ "La Conferencia Episcopal de Chile elige a su nuevo presidente". Zenit (in Spanish). 11 November 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ "La Conferencia Episcopal chilena tiene como nuevo presidente al Cardenal Aós". Vatican News (in Spanish). 29 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
External links
Media related to Roman Catholic Church in Chile at Wikimedia Commons