State religion

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(Redirected from
Established church
)

Shi'a Islam

A state religion (also called official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not a secular state, is not necessarily a theocracy. State religions are official or government-sanctioned establishments of a religion, but the state does not need to be under the control of the clergy (as in a theocracy), nor is the state-sanctioned religion necessarily under the control of the state.

Official religions have been known throughout

ecclesiae
, which are similar but carry a more minor connotation.

In the Middle East, the majority of states with a predominantly Muslim population have Islam as their official religion, though the degree of religious restrictions on citizens' everyday lives varies by country. Rulers of Saudi Arabia use both secular and religious power, while Iran's secular presidents are supposed to follow the decisions of religious authorities since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Turkey, which also has Muslim-majority population, became a secular country after Atatürk's Reforms, although unlike the Russian Revolution of the same time period, it did not result in the adoption of state atheism.

The degree to which an official national religion is imposed upon citizens by the state in contemporary society varies considerably; from high as in Saudi Arabia and Iran, to none at all as in Greenland, Denmark, England, Iceland, and Greece (in Europe, the state religion might be called in English, the established church.)

Types

The degree and nature of state backing for denomination or creed designated as a state religion can vary. It can range from mere endorsement (with or without financial support) with

Henry VIII broke with Rome in 1534, being declared the Supreme Head of the Church of England,[b] the official religion of England continued to be "Catholicism without the Pope" until after his death in 1547.[31]

In some cases, an administrative region may sponsor and fund a set of religious denominations; such is the case in

Alsace-Moselle in France under its local law, following the pre-1905 French concordatory legal system and patterns in Germany.[32]

State churches

Westminster Abbey is responsible directly to the British monarch. The Church of England is the established church in England.

A state church (or "established church") is a state religion established by a state for use exclusively by that state. In the case of a state church, the state has absolute control over the church, but in the case of a state religion, the church is ruled by an exterior body; for example, in the case of Catholicism, the Vatican has control over the church. As of 2024, there are only five state churches left.[33]

Disestablishment

Disestablishment is the process of repealing a church's status as an organ of the state. In a state where an established church is in place, opposition to such a move may be described as antidisestablishmentarianism. This word is, however, most usually associated with the debate on the position of the Anglican churches in the British Isles: the Church of Ireland (disestablished in 1871), the Church in Wales (disestablished in 1920), and the Church of England itself (which remains established in England).[citation needed]

Current states with a state religion

Buddhism

Governments where Buddhism, either a specific form of it, or Buddhism as a whole, has been established as an official religion:

  • Druk Gyalpo (King) should appoint the Je Khenpo and Dratshang Lhentshog (The Commission for Monastic Affairs).[35]
  • Constitution declared Buddhism as the official religion of the country.[36] About 98% of Cambodia's population is Buddhist.[37]
  • Myanmar Myanmar: Section 361 of the Constitution states that "The Union recognizes special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the Union."[38] The 1961 State Religion Promotion and Support Act requires : to teach Buddhist lessons in schools, to give priority to Buddhist monasteries in founding of primary schools, to make Uposatha days holidays during Vassa months, to broadcast Buddhist sermons by State media on Uposatha days, and other promotion and supports for Buddhism as State Religion.[39]
  • Sri Lanka Sri Lanka: The constitution of Sri Lanka states under Chapter II, Article 9, "The Republic of Sri Lanka declares Buddhism as the state religion and accordingly it shall be the duty of the Head of State and Head of Government to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana".[40]

In some countries, Buddhism is not recognized as a state religion, but holds special status:

  • Thai constitution: "The State should support and protect Buddhism". In supporting and protecting Buddhism, the State should promote and support education and dissemination of dharmic principles of Theravada Buddhism, and shall have measures and mechanisms to prevent Buddhism from being undermined in any form. The State should also encourage Buddhists to participate in implementing such measures or mechanisms.[41]
  • Laos Laos: According to the Lao Constitution, Buddhism is given special privilege in the country. The state respects and protects all the lawful activities of Buddhism.[42]
  • Kalmykia Kalmykia (Russia): The local Government supports Buddhism and also encourages Buddhist teachings and traditions. It also builds various Buddhist temples and sites. Various efforts are taken by the Government for the revival of Buddhism in the republic.[43][44][45]

Christianity

The following states recognize some form of Christianity as their state or official religion or recognize a special status for it (by denomination):

Non-denominational Christianity

Catholicism

Jurisdictions where Catholicism has been established as a state or official religion:

  •  Costa Rica: Article 75 of the Constitution of Costa Rica confirms that "The Catholic and Apostolic Religion is the religion of the State, which contributes to its maintenance, without preventing the free exercise in the Republic of other forms of worship that are not opposed to universal morality or good customs."[49]
  •  
    Latin: Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's official residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace
    .
  •  Liechtenstein: The Constitution of Liechtenstein describes the Catholic Church as the state religion and enjoying "the full protection of the State". The constitution does however ensure that people of other faiths "shall be entitled to practice their creeds and to hold religious services to the extent consistent with morality and public order".[51]
  •  Malta: Article 2 of the Constitution of Malta declares that "the religion of Malta is the Catholic and Apostolic Religion".[52]
  •  Monaco: Article 9 of the Constitution of Monaco describes the "Catholic, and apostolic religion" as the religion of the state.[53]

Jurisdictions that give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Roman Catholicism without establishing it as the State religion:

Eastern Orthodoxy

  •  Greece: The Church of Greece is recognized by the Greek Constitution as the prevailing religion in Greece[67] and is the only country in the world where Eastern Orthodoxy is clearly recognized as a state religion.[68][69] However, this provision does not give exclusivity of worship to the Church of Greece, while all other religions are recognized as equal and may be practiced freely.[70]

The jurisdictions below give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Eastern Orthodoxy, but without establishing it as the state religion:

  •  Bulgaria: In the Bulgarian Constitution, Eastern Orthodoxy is recognized as "the traditional religion" of the Bulgarian people, but the state itself remains secular.[71]
  •  
    Greek-Orthodox Church of Cyprus shall continue to have the exclusive right of regulating and administering its own internal affairs and property in accordance with the Holy Canons and its Charter in force for the time being and the Greek Communal Chamber shall not act inconsistently with such right."[72][c]
  •  
  •  Georgia: The Georgian Orthodox Church has a constitutional agreement with the state, the constitution recognizing "the special role of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia in the history of Georgia and its independence from the state".[75] (See also Concordat of 2002)

Protestantism

The following states recognize some form of Protestantism as their state or official religion:

The Commonwealth

Anglicanism

The Anglican Church of England is the established church in England as well as all three of the Crown Dependencies:

Calvinism
  •  Scotland: The Church of Scotland is the national church, but not the United Kingdom as a whole.[79] Whilst it is the national church, it 'is not State controlled' and the monarch is not the 'supreme governor' as in the Church of England.[79]
  •  Tuvalu: The Church of Tuvalu is the state religion, although in practice this merely entitles it to "the privilege of performing special services on major national events".[80] The Constitution of Tuvalu guarantees freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice, the freedom to change religion, the right not to receive religious instruction at school or to attend religious ceremonies at school, and the right not to "take an oath or make an affirmation that is contrary to his religion or belief".[81]

Nordic Countries

Lutheranism

Jurisdictions where a

Nordic States
.

Jurisdictions that give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Lutheranism without establishing it as the state religion:

  •  Finland: The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has a special relationship with the Finnish state, its internal structure being described in a special law, the Church Act.[87] The Church Act can be amended only by a decision of the synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and subsequent ratification by the Parliament of Finland. The Church Act is protected by the Constitution of Finland and the state cannot change the Church Act without changing the constitution. The church has the power to tax its members. The state collects these taxes for the church, for a fee. On the other hand, the church is required to give a burial place for everyone in its graveyards.[87] The President of Finland also decides the themes for intercession days. The church does not consider itself a state church, as the Finnish state does not have the power to influence its internal workings or its theology, although it has a veto in those changes of the internal structure which require changing the Church Act. Neither does the Finnish state accord any precedence to Lutherans or the Lutheran faith in its own acts.
  •  Sweden: The Church of Sweden was the state church of Sweden between 1527 when King Gustav Vasa broke all ties with Rome and 2000 when the state officially became secular. Much like in Finland, it does have a special relation to the Swedish state unlike any other religious organizations. For example, there is a special law that regulates certain aspects of the church[88] and the members of the royal family are required to belong to it in order to have a claim to the line of succession. A majority of the population still belongs to the Church of Sweden.[89]

Other/mixed

  •  Armenia: The Armenian Apostolic Church has a constitutional agreement with the State: "The Republic of Armenia shall recognise the exclusive mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, as a national church, in the spiritual life of the Armenian people, in the development of their national culture and preservation of their national identity."[90]
  •  Dominican Republic: The constitution of the Dominican Republic specifies that there is no state church and provides for freedom of religion and belief. A concordat with the Holy See designates Catholicism as the official religion and extends special privileges to the Catholic Church not granted to other religious groups. These include the legal recognition of church law, use of public funds to underwrite some church expenses, and complete exoneration from customs duties.[91]
  •  Haiti: While Catholicism has not been the state religion since 1987, a 19th-century concordat with the Holy See continues to confer preferential treatment to the Catholic Church, in the form of stipends for clergy and financial support to churches and religious schools. The Catholic Church also retains the right to appoint certain amounts of clergy in Haiti without the government's consent.[92][93]
  •  Hungary: The preamble to the Hungarian Constitution of 2011 describes Hungary as "part of Christian Europe" and acknowledges "the role of Christianity in preserving nationhood", while Article VII provides that "the State shall cooperate with the Churches for community goals." However, the constitution also guarantees freedom of religion and separation of church and state.[94]
  •  Nicaragua: The Nicaraguan Constitution of 1987 states that the country has no official religion, but defines "Christian values" as one of the "principles of the Nicaraguan nation".[95]
  •  Portugal: Although Church and State are formally separate, the Catholic Church in Portugal still receives certain privileges.[96]

Islam

Many

Muslim-majority countries have constitutionally established Islam, or a specific form of it, as a state religion. Proselytism (converting people away from Islam) is often illegal in such states.[97][98][99][100]

In some countries, Islam is not recognized as a state religion, but holds special status:

  • Tajikistan Tajikistan: Although there is a separation of religion from politics, certain aspects of law also privilege Islam. One such law declares "Islam to be a traditional religion of Tajikistan, with more rights and privileges given to Islamic organizations than to religious groups of non-Muslim origin".[128]
  • Tunisia Tunisia: Article 5 of the Constitution declares that "Tunisia is part of the Muslim world, and the state alone must work to achieve the goals of pure Islam in preserving honourable life of religious freedom". Although, Islam has been given special privileges by the Constitution, though it is no longer the state religion.[129][130]
  • Turkmenistan Turkmenistan: The Constitution claims to uphold a secular system in which religious and state institutions are separate. However, in Turkmenistan, the state actively privileges a form of traditional Islam. The culture, including Islam, is a key facet, contributes to the Turkmen national identity. The state encourages the conceptualization of "Turkmen Islam".[131]
  • Uzbekistan Uzbekistan: Since independence, Islam has taken on an altogether new role in the nation-building process in Uzbekistan. The government affords Islam in special status and declared it as a national heritage and a moral guideline.[132]

Status of religion in Israel

  •  
    Israeli citizenship. Section - (1) of that law declares that "Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an Oleh, "(Immigrant)". In the Law of Return, the State of Israel gave effect to the Zionist movement's "credo" which called for the establishment of Israel as a Sovereign Jewish state with Democratic setups, ideals and values.[134]

The State of Israel supports religious institutions, particularly

Gregorian-Armenian, Armenian-Catholic, Syriac Catholic, Chaldean, Melkite Catholic, Maronite Catholic, and Syriac Orthodox). The fact that the Muslim population was not defined as a religious community does not affect the rights of the Muslim community to practice their faith. At the end of the period covered by the 2009 U.S. International Religious Freedom Report, several of these denominations were pending official government recognition; however, the Government has allowed adherents of not officially recognized groups the freedom to practice. In 1961, legislation gave Muslim Shari'a courts exclusive jurisdiction in matters of personal status. Three additional religious communities have subsequently been recognized by Israeli law: the Druze (prior under Islamic jurisdiction), the Evangelical Episcopal Church, and followers of the Baháʼí Faith.[135]

Political religions

In some countries, there is a

Multiple religion recognition

  •  
    Taoism, Islam, Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism).[138] Despite limitations on certain forms of religious expression and assembly, religion is not banned, and religious freedom is nominally protected under the Chinese constitution. Among the general Chinese population, there are a wide variety of religious practices.[139] The Chinese government's attitude to religion is one of skepticism and non-promotion.[139][140][141][142]
  •  
    Laïcité, does not apply in this region.[143]
  •  
    Atheism, although not prosecuted, is discouraged by the state ideology of Pancasila. In addition, the province of Aceh receives a special status and a higher degree of autonomy, in which it may enact laws (qanuns) based on the Sharia
    and enforce it, especially to its Muslim residents.
  •  
  •  
    Anglican and some Protestantism denominations as well as to Jewish congregations.[148]
  •    Nepal is a secular nation, and secularism in Nepal under the interim constitution (Part 1, Article 4) is defined as "religious and cultural freedom, along with the protection of religion and culture handed down from time immemorial." That is, "the state government is bound for protecting and fostering Hindu religion" while maintaining "religious" and "cultural" freedom throughout the nation as fundamental rights.
  •  Russia: Though a secular state under the constitution, Russia is often said to have Russian Orthodoxy as the de facto national religion, despite other minorities: "The Russian Orthodox Church is de facto privileged religion of the state, claiming the right to decide which other religions or denominations are to be granted the right of registration".[149][150][151][152][153][154][155]

Islam in Russia is recognized under the law and by Russian political leaders as one of Russia's traditional religions, Islam is a part of Russian historical heritage, and is subsidized by the Russian government.[156] The position of Islam as a major Russian religion, alongside Orthodox Christianity, dates from the time of Catherine the Great, who sponsored Islamic clerics and scholarship through the Orenburg Assembly.[157]

  •  Singapore is officially a secular country and does not have a state religion, and has been named in one study as the "most religiously diverse nation in the world", with no religious group forming a majority.[158] However, the government gives official recognition to ten different religions, namely Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Sikhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and the Baháʼí Faith,[159] and Singapore's penal code explicitly prohibits "wounding religious feelings". The Jehovah's Witnesses and Unification Church are also banned in Singapore, as the government deems them to be a threat to national security.
  •   
    Roman Catholic Church
    in various ways.
  • official religion nor promotes any.[160] But; the Directorate of Religious Affairs, an official state institution established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1924,[161] expresses opinions only on religious matters regarding Sunni institutions.[162] The directorate regulates the operation of the country's hundreds of thousands of registered mosques and employs local and provincial imams (who are civil servants) who are appointed and paid by the state,[163] whilst other sects of Islam with a sizeable minority such as Alevism are not being regulated nor being funded by the directorate.[164]

In addition, the Treaty of Lausanne explicitly guarantees the security and protection of both Greek and Armenian Orthodox Christian minorities and the Turkish-Jews. Their religious institutions are being recognized officially by the state.[165][166]

  •  Vietnam is officially atheist[167] (although sometimes also referred as atheist-Buddhist),[168][169] but recognizes only 38 religious organizations and one dharma practice.[170]

Former state religions

Roman religion and Christianity

In Rome, the office of

Pontifex Maximus came to be reserved for the Emperor, who was occasionally declared a god posthumously, or sometimes during his reign. Failure to worship the Emperor as a god was at times punishable by death, as the Roman government sought to link emperor worship with loyalty to the Empire. Many Christians and Jews were subject to persecution, torture and death in the Roman Empire because it was against their beliefs to worship the Emperor.[citation needed
]

In 311, Emperor

Constantine I and Licinius, the two Augusti, by the Edict of Milan of 313, enacted a law allowing religious freedom to everyone within the Roman Empire. Furthermore, the Edict of Milan cited that Christians may openly practice their religion unmolested and unrestricted, and provided that properties taken from Christians be returned to them unconditionally. Although the Edict of Milan allowed religious freedom throughout the Empire, it did not abolish nor disestablish the Roman state cult (Roman polytheistic paganism). The Edict of Milan was written in such a way as to implore the blessings of the deity.[citation needed
]

Constantine called up the

]

]

Han dynasty Confucianism

In China, the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) advocated Confucianism as the de facto state religion, establishing tests based on Confucian texts as an entrance requirement into government service—although, in fact, the "Confucianism" advocated by the Han emperors may be more properly termed a sort of Confucian Legalism or "State Confucianism". This sort of Confucianism continued to be regarded by the emperors, with a few notable exceptions, as a form of state religion from this time until the collapse of the Chinese monarchy in 1912. Note, however, there is a debate over whether Confucianism (including Neo-Confucianism) is a religion or purely a philosophical system.[173]

Yuan dynasty Buddhism

During the Mongol-led

Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, other religions became less important. Before the end of the Yuan dynasty, 14 leaders of the Sakya sect had held the post of Imperial Preceptor (Dishi), thereby enjoying special power.[174]

Golden Horde and Ilkhanate

The Mongol rulers

Jewish subjects lost their equal status with Muslims and again had to pay the poll tax; Buddhists had the starker choice of conversion or expulsion.[175]

Former state churches in British North America

Other states

Established churches and former state churches

Country Church Denomination Disestablished
Anhalt
Evangelical State Church of Anhalt
united Protestant
1918
Armenia Armenian Apostolic Church
Oriental Orthodox
1921
Austria
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1918
Baden
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1918
United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden
united Protestant
1918
Bavaria
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1918
Protestant State Church in the Kingdom of Bavaria right of the Rhine
Reformed
1918
United Protestant Evangelical Christian Church of the Palatinate united Protestant
1918
Barbados Church of England
Anglican
1968
Bolivia
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
2009
Brazil[d]
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1890
Brunswick
Evangelical Lutheran State Church in Brunswick
Lutheran
1918
Bulgaria Bulgarian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1946
Central African Empire
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1979
Chile
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1925
Colombia
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1936[189]
Cuba
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1902
Cyprus Church of Cyprus
Eastern Orthodox
1977, following the death of the Ethnarch Makarios III
Czechoslovakia
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1920
Denmark Church of Denmark
Lutheran
Current
England Church of England
Anglican
Current
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodox
1974
Faroe Islands Church of the Faroe Islands
Lutheran
Elevated from a diocese of the Church of Denmark in 2007 (the two remain in close cooperation)
Finland Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Lutheran
1867
Finnish Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1917
France Cult of Reason N/A 1794 (established 1793)
Cult of the Supreme Being N/A 1794, officially banned in 1802
Roman Catholic Church[e]
Catholic
1905
Georgia Georgian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1921
Greece Church of Greece
Eastern Orthodox[67]
The Church of Greece is recognized by the Greek Constitution as the "prevailing religion" in Greece.[67] However, this provision does not give official status to the Church of Greece, while all other religions are recognized as equal and may be practiced freely.[70]
Greenland Church of Denmark
Lutheran
Under discussion to be elevated from
The Diocese of Greenland in the Church of Denmark to a state church for Greenland, along‐the‐lines the Faroese Church
took in 2007
Guatemala
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1871
Haiti
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1987
Hawaii
Church of Hawaii
Anglican
1893
Hesse
Evangelical Church in Hesse
united Protestant
1918
Hungary[f]
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1946
Iceland
Lutheran Evangelical Church
Lutheran
Current
Ireland[g] Church of Ireland
Anglican
1871
Italy
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
18 February 1984 (into force 25 April 1985[196])
Liechtenstein
Roman Catholic Church[51]
Catholic
Current
Lippe Church of Lippe
Reformed
1918
Lithuania
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1940
Lübeck Evangelical Lutheran Church in the State of Lübeck
Lutheran
1918
Luxembourg
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
Not an official state church[197]
Malta
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
Current
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Lutheran
1918
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz State Church
Lutheran
1918
Mexico
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1857
(reestablished between 1864 and 1867)
Monaco
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1999 (reestablished again in 2020–present).
Netherlands Dutch Reformed Church
Reformed
1795
Nicaragua
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1939[198]
North Macedonia Macedonian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1921
Norway Church of Norway
Lutheran
As of 2012 the Constitution of Norway no longer names Lutheranism as the official religion of the state and in 2017 the church became an independent legal entity,[199][200][201] but article 16 says that "The Church of Norway [...] will remain the National Church of Norway and will as such be supported by the State."[202] As of 1 January 2017 the Church of Norway is a legal entity independent of the state.[199][203]
Oldenburg Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oldenburg
Lutheran
1918
Panama
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1904
Paraguay
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1992[204]
Peru
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1993
Philippines[h]
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1898
Poland[i]
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1947
Portugal[j]
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1910, 1976
Prussia
pre 1866 provinces
Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces
with nine ecclesiastical provinces
united Protestant 1918
Prussia
Province of Hanover
Evangelical Reformed State Church of the Province of Hanover
Reformed
1918
Prussia
Province of Hanover
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover
Lutheran
1918
Prussia
Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially)
Evangelical State Church of Frankfurt upon Main
united Protestant 1918
Prussia
Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially)
Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse
united Protestant 1918
Prussia
Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially)
Evangelical State Church in Nassau
united Protestant 1918
Prussia
Province of Schleswig-Holstein
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein
Lutheran
1918
Romania Romanian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1947
Russia Russian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1917
Saxony
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Saxony
Lutheran
1918
Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelical State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe
Lutheran
1918
Scotland[205] Church of Scotland
Presbyterian
Remains the national church; state control disclaimed since 1638. Formally recognised as not an established church by the Church of Scotland Act 1921.
Serbia Serbian Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox
1920
Spain
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1978
Sweden Church of Sweden
Lutheran
2000
Thuringia
church bodies in principalities which merged in Thuringia in 1920
Lutheran
1918
Tuvalu Church of Tuvalu
Reformed
Current
Uruguay
Roman Catholic Church
Catholic
1918 (into effect in 1919)
United States[k] none since 1776, which was made explicit in the Bill of Rights in 1792 none n/a; some state legislatures required all citizens in those states to be members of a church, and some had official churches, such as Congregationalism in some New England states such as Massachusetts. This eventually ended in 1833 when Massachusetts was the last state to disestablish its church.
Waldeck
Evangelical State Church of Waldeck and Pyrmont
united Protestants 1918
Wales[l] Church of England
Anglican
1920
Württemberg
Evangelical State Church in Württemberg
Lutheran
1918

Former confessional states

Note: This only includes states that abolished their state religion themselves, not states with a state religion that were conquered, fell apart or otherwise disappeared.

Buddhism

Country Denomination Disestablished
Laos
Theravada Buddhism
1975[210]
Siam
Theravada Buddhism
1932
Tokugawa Shogunate
Japanese Buddhism 1868

Hinduism

Country Disestablished
Nepal 2008 (de facto)[211]
2015 (de jure)[211]

Islam

Country Denomination Disestablished
Sudan Sunni Islam
2020[212]
Tunisia Sunni Islam 2022[129]
Turkey Sunni Islam 1928[m]

Shamanism

Country Denomination Disestablished
Silla
Korean Shamanism
527 CE

Shinto

Country Denomination Disestablished
Japan State Shinto 1947 (de facto)[214]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Bhutan,[1] Mauritania,[2] Western Sahara (via Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[3] and Morocco,[4] which divide control), Morocco,[4] Tunisia,[5] Egypt,[6] England,[7] Jordan,[8] Iraq,[9] Pakistan,[10] Bangladesh,[11] United Arab Emirates,[12] Oman,[13] Yemen,[14] Maldives,[15] Iran,[16] Algeria,[17] Saudi Arabia,[18] Sri Lanka,[19] Afghanistan,[20] Somalia,[21] Malaysia,[22] Brunei,[23] Greece,[24] Denmark,[25] Costa Rica,[26] Zambia.[27] See also here.
  2. ^ The headship was administrative and jurisdictional but did not include the potestas ordinis (the right to preach, ordain, administer the sacraments and rites of the Church which were reserved to the clergy).[30]
  3. ^ The Constitution also states that "Any matter relating to divorce, judicial separation or restitution of conjugal rights or to family relations of the members of the Greek-Orthodox Church, shall be cognizable by family courts each of which is composed: For a divorce trial, of three judges, one of which is a lawyer ecclesiastical officer appointed by the Greek Orthodox Church and presides over the Court and the other two of high professional and moral standard belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church are appointed by the Supreme Court among lawyers. If no ecclesiastical officer is appointed as above, the Supreme Court appoints the President of the Court as well."[72]
  4. Positivist thinker Demétrio Nunes Ribeiro urged the new government to adopt this stance. The 1891 Constitution, the first under the Republican system of government, abolished privileges for any specific religion, reaffirming the separation of church and state. This has been the case ever since the 1988 Constitution of Brazil, currently in force, does so in its Nineteenth Article. The Preamble to the Constitution does refer to "God's protection" over the document's promulgation
    , but this is not legally taken as endorsement of belief in any deity.
  5. .
  6. Ausgleich. In 1895 Judaism was also recognized as the sixth established church. In 1948 every distinction between the different denominations were abolished.[190][191]
  7. Jewish Congregations and the other religious denominations existing in Ireland at the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution".[194] These provisions were deleted in 1973.[195]
  8. present Constitution
    . Catholicism remains the predominant religion, wielding considerable political and cultural influence.
  9. March Constitution of 1921 declared the Roman Catholic Church to hold "the principal position among religious denominations equal before the law" (in reference to the idea of first among equals). The article was continued in force by article 81 of the April Constitution of 1935. The Soviet-backed PKWN Manifesto of 1944 reintroduced the March Constitution, which remained in force until it was replaced by the Small Constitution of 1947
    .
  10. ^ Until 1910 Roman Catholic Church was considered as state religion. Between 1951 and 1976 Catholic religion was considered as religion of the Portuguese Nation.[citation needed]
  11. ^ The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly forbids the federal government from enacting any law respecting a religious establishment, and thus forbids either designating an official church for the United States, or interfering with State and local official churches—which were common when the First Amendment was enacted. It did not prevent state governments from establishing official churches. Connecticut continued to do so until it replaced its colonial Charter with the Connecticut Constitution of 1818; Massachusetts retained an establishment of religion in general until 1833.[206] Until its substitution by Article of Amendment XI in 1834, Article III of the Massachusetts constitution's bill of rights provided, "... the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily."[207] The
    incorporates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause as applying to the States, and thereby prohibits state and local religious establishments. The exact boundaries of this prohibition are still disputed, and are a frequent source of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—especially as the Court must now balance, on a state level, the First Amendment prohibitions on government establishment of official religions with the First Amendment prohibitions on government interference with the free exercise of religion. See school prayer
    for such a controversy in contemporary American politics. All current State constitutions do mention a Creator, but include guarantees of religious liberty parallel to the
    Article 6 Section 3
    of the United States Constitution. The
    Church of Hawaii was the state church of Hawaii from 1862–1893.
  12. ^ The Church in Wales was split from the Church of England in 1920, by Welsh Church Act 1914; at the same time becoming disestablished.
  13. ^ The Turkish Constitution of 1924 was amended for the first time on 10 April 1928, including removing inter alia Article 2 and the provision of "Religion of the Turkish state is Islam".[213]

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  203. ^ Lovvedtak 56 (2015–2016) Vedtak til lov om endringer i kirkeloven (omdanning av Den norske kirke til eget rettssubjekt m.m.) Stortinget.no
  204. ^ Under the 1967 Constitution, Roman Catholicism was the state religion as stated in Article 6: "The Roman Catholic Apostolic religion is the state religion, without prejudice to religious freedom, which is guaranteed in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. Official relations of the republic with the Holy See shall be governed by concordats or other bilateral agreements." The 1992 Constitution, which replaced the 1967 one, establishes Paraguay as a secular state, as mentioned in section (1) of Article 24: "Freedom of religion, worship, and ideology is recognized without any restrictions other than those established in this Constitution and the law. The State has no official religion."
  205. ^ The modern Church of Scotland has always disclaimed recognition as an "established" church while remaining the national church. The Church of Scotland Act 1921 formally recognised the Kirk's independence from the state.
  206. .
  207. ^ Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, [1].
  208. ^ "State Constitutions that Discriminate Against Atheists". godlessgeeks.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2007.
  209. ^ "Religious laws and religious bigotry – Religious discrimination in U.S. state constitutions". religioustolerance.com. Retrieved 27 April 2007.
  210. ^ "Laos Constitution 1947/1949" (PDF).
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  212. ^ Michael Atit (4 September 2020). "Sudan's Government Agrees to Separate Religion and State". Voice of America. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  213. ^ beykent.edu.tr, TC Anayasaları, 1921, 1924, 1961 ve 1982 Anayasalarını karşılaştırılması Archived 24 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine (in Turkish)
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Further reading

  • Rowlands, John Henry Lewis (1989). Church, State, and Society, 1827–1845: the Attitudes of John Keble, Richard Hurrell Froude, and John Henry Newman. Worthing, Eng.: P. Smith [of] Churchman Publishing; Folkestone, Eng.: distr. ... by Bailey Book Distribution.

External links