According to article 24 of the Paraguayan Constitution of 1992, freedom of religion is recognised and there is no official religion. Relations between the State and the Catholic church are to be based on independence, co-operation and autonomy. The independence of religious organisations is guaranteed.[1]

As can be seen below, the majority of Paraguayans are Roman Catholic, although the percentage of Paraguayans who identify themselves as Catholic has dropped slightly. There has been a corresponding growth in the influence of Evangelical churches in recent years. There are a number of Indigenous religions and there are also Buddhist (probably due to immigration from Korea), Jewish and Muslim communities in the country.

Religions in Paraguay according to 2002 and 1992 censuses [1]

Religions in Paraguay[2]
Religion Number of followers 2002 Percentage 2002 Number of followers 1992 Percentage 1992 Change 1992-2002
Catholicism 3,488,086 89.61% 2,749,888 93.25% -3.64%
Indigenous & Catholic 223 0.01 N/A N/A N/A
Orthodox 25 <0.00% N/A N\A N/A
Russian (Orthodox) 470 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Other Orthodox 950 0.02% N/A N/A N/A
Anglicanism 1,858 0.05% N/A N/A N/A
Indigenous & Anglican 29 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Lutheran 8,849 0.23% N/A N/A N/A
Presbyterian 276 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Mennonites 8,445 0.22% N/A N/A N/A
Indigenous & Mennonite 8 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Traditional Christianity* (excl. Catholicism) 21,133 0.54% 14,497 0.49% +0.05%
Christian and Missionary Alliance 87 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Assemblies of God 9,879 0.25% N/A N/A N/A
Maranatha Baptist Church 10,355 0.27% N/A N/A N/A
Centro familiar de adoración aposent. 513 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Comunidad Cristiana 1,046 0.03% N/A N/A N/A
Plymouth Brethren - Open Brothers 665 0.02% N/A N/A N/A
Independent 7 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Church of God (Pentecostal) 1,550 0.04% N/A N/A N/A
Church of God of Prophecy (Pentecostal) 149 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Methodists 451 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Free Methodists 156 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Church of the Nazarene 86 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Neotestamentaria (Baptist) 276 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Pentecostal 8,631 0.22% N/A N/A N/A
Other Evangelical 186,107 4.78% N/A N/A N/A
Seventh Day Adventist 7,804 0.20% N/A N/A N/A
Dios es Amor (Pentecostal) 1,290 0.03% N/A N/A N/A
Universal Church of the Kingdom of God 714 0.02% N/A N/A N/A
Unification Church 116 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) 9,374 0.24% N/A N/A N/A
Pueblo de Dios 12,114 0.31% N/A N/A N/A
Jehovah's Witnesses 11,805 0.30% N/A N/A N/A
Mount Zion Church 233 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Other pseudo-Christian groups 825 0.02% N/A N/A N/A
Post-16th-Century Christian demoninations** 264,233 6.78% 138,573 4.70% +2.08%
Judaism 1,100 0.03% 952 0.03% -
Islam 872 0.02% 1,200 0.04% -0.02%
Hinduism (Tao) 151 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Buddhism 2,088 0.05% N/A N/A N/A
Reyukai 72 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Shintoism 30 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Bahá'í Faith 225[3] 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
"Eastern and Cultural Religions" (excl Islam)*** 2566 0.07% 2,811 0.10% -0.03%
Rosacrucis 7 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Spiritualists - E.C.Basilio 289 0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Umbanda 54 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Other, Spiritualist 66 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Mentalism 164 <0.01% N/A N/A N/A
Indigenous Religions 23,741 0.61 N/A N/A N/A
Religions not included above 1,208 0.03% N/A N/A N/A
Unspecified other religion 6,139 0.16% N/A N/A N/A
Religion not previously mentioned in 1992 Census**** 31,668 0.81% 8,152 0.28% +0.53%
No religion 44,334 1.14% 23,236 0.78% +0.36%
No response 37,206 0.96% 9,790 0.33% +0.63%
Total no. of participants 3,892,603 100% 2,949,099 100% -

NB:

Roman Catholicism in Paraguay

Main article Roman Catholicism in Paraguay The Roman Catholic Church in Paraguay is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome

Catholicism has long been the most important religion in Paraguay, the Bishopric of Asunción was created in 1547[4]. The majority of government officials are catholics and a number of Catholic festivals are public holidays (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Feast of The Assumption of the Virgen Mary [15 August], Feast of The Immaculate Conception [8 December] and Christmas[5].

Many people mark the Feast of the Immaculate Conception with a pilgrimage to Caacupé Caacupé is a city in Paraguay, founded in 1770. It is the capital of the department of Cordillera . The Basilica of Caccupe contains a statuette of Our Lady of the Miracles. Pope John Paul II visited Caacupe in 1987.

The Church maintains the Universidad Católica "Nuestra Señora de la Asunción".

Bahá'í Faith in Paraguay

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Paraguay

The Bahá'í Faith in Paraguay begins after `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, mentioned the country in 1916.[6] Paraguayan Maria Casati was the first to join the religion in 1939 when living in Buenos Aires.[7] The first pioneer to settle in Paraguay was Elizabeth Cheney late in 1940[8] and the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carried out some of the responsibilities of clergy, as well as some responsibilities that an elected Board of Deacons or Parish Council of a Christian church might perform. In addition to of Asunción Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay. The Spanish word asunción means assumption in English. It refers to the Assumption of Mary; the full name means The Very Noble and Loyal City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption was elected in 1944.[8][9] By 1961 Paraguayan Bahá'ís had elected the first National Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carried out some of the responsibilities of clergy, as well as some responsibilities that an elected Board of Deacons or Parish Council of a Christian church might perform. In addition to and by 1963 there were 3 local assemblies plus other communities.[10] Recent estimates of Bahá'ís mention 5500[11] or 13000[12] though the state Census doesn't mention the Bahá'ís.[13]

Judaism in Paraguay

The first synagogue in Paraguay was established in 1917 by Sephardic Jews who had emigrated from Palestine, Turkey and Greece; though there had previously been some isolated Jewish settlers from Europe.[14]

Ashkenazi Jews from the Ukraine and Poland founded the Unión Hebraica in the 1920s, while in the 1930s between 15,000 and 20,000 refugees from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia fled to Paraguay to escape the holocaust. Many of these later moved on to Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Those who remained were later joined by immigrants who were mostly survivors of the concentration camps.[14]

Today, the Jewish community has around a 1000 members who live mainly in Asunción. There is a Jewish school Escuela Integral Estado de Israel. Asunción has three synagogues: Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Chabad and a Jewish museum.[14]

Islam in Paraguay

Main article Islam in Paraguay The latest statistics for Islam in Paraguay estimate a total Muslim population of 507, representing 0.008 percent of the population. Most of the Muslims are descendants of immigrants from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. The major Islamic organization in Paraguay is the Centro Benéfico Cultural Islámico Asunción, led by Faozi Mohamed Omairi. The

The 1992 census recorded 872 Muslims in Paraguay 486 of which were in the Alto Parana department, the capital of which is Ciudad del Este. There are also communities in Asunción and Itapua (the capital fo which is Encarnación)[15]. As in other parts of Latin America, many of these are descended from immigrants from Syria and Lebanon, though some may also be from Bangladesh and Pakistan[16]

Latter Day Saints in Paraguay

The Asunción Paraguay Temple (Mormon)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims more than 70,000 members in Paraguay and that its membership has doubled in the past five years.[17]

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