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Religion in Colombia is dominated by various branches ofChristianity and is an expression of the different influences in theColombian culture including theSpanish, theNative Amerindian and theAfro-Colombian, among others.[2]
Colombia is asecular country and thefreedom of religion is enshrined in the nation'sconstitution. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for formally recognizing churches, religious denominations, religious federations and confederations, and associations of religious ministers.[3]
The Colombian Constitution of 1991disestablished the Catholic Church, hitherto the state religion, and includes two articles providing for freedom of worship:
In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.[4]
In the same year, the country was ranked as the 22nd most difficult place in the world to be a Christian.[5]
Christianity (Catholicism) was the official religion of the country from the Spanish colonization until the 1991 constitutional reform (National Constituent Assembly), which granted egalitarian treatment from the government to all the religions. However, Catholicism is still the main religion in Colombia by number of adherents, with an estimated 73% of the national population in nominal Catholicism in 2022.[3]
In the colonial period, the Catholic Church was created and in charge of most of the public institutions, such as teaching facilities (schools, colleges, universities, libraries, botanical gardens, astronomical observatories); health facilities (Hospitals, nurseries, leper hospitals) and jails. It also "inherited" a huge amount of land, approx. 1/4 of all the productive land, which was later acquired by the government.[citation needed]
Colombia is often referred as the "Country of the Sacred Heart", due to the annual consecration of the country to theSacred Heart of Jesus in aTe Deum directed by the president of the republic. Colombia has been re-consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 2008, in a country-wide ceremony celebrated by the main bishops and with the presence of the Colombian president (also a Catholic).[citation needed]
Protestantism, primarilyEvangelicalism, represent 14% of the population in 2022;[3] international NGOs have stated that indigenous Protestants face threats, harassment and arbitrary detention in their communities due to their religious beliefs.
There is a smallEastern Orthodox presence in Colombia, concentrated around cities and metropolitan areas. TheRussian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia has Colombia as part of their Diocese of Caracas and South America, ruled by BishopJohn (Berzins).[6] TheEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople also maintains a presence in Colombia, through their Metropolis of Buenos Aires and all South America, ruled byMetropolitan John (Bosch) since 2019.[7] There is little activity beyond that.
TheBaháʼí Faith in Colombia begins with references to the country inBaháʼí literature as early as 1916,[8] with Baháʼís visiting as early as 1927.[9] The first Colombian joined the religion in 1929[10] and the first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assembly was elected inBogotá in 1944[11] with the beginning of the arrival of coordinatedpioneers from the United States and achieved an independentNational Spiritual Assembly in 1961.[12] By 1963 there were eleven local assemblies.[13] In the 1980s institutions were developed in Colombia that have influenced activities inside and independent of the religion in other countries:FUNDAEC[14][15] and theRuhi Institute.[16]
TheAssociation of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on theWorld Christian Encyclopedia) estimated that Baháʼís made up 0.02% of the population in 2020;[17] local leaders estimate that they make up over 1%.[3]
According to a 2018 study conducted Pew Research Center, the size of the Colombian Muslim population ranges from about 5,000-10,000 individuals.[18] There are a number ofIslamic organizations inColombia, including Islamic inSan Andrés,Barranquilla,Bogotá,Guajira,Nariño, andSanta Marta. There are also primary and secondary Islamic schools in Bogotá andMaicao.Maicao plays host to the continent's third largest mosque, theMosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.
Most Colombian Muslims are converts or of Arab descent.[19]
In 2020,Maicao became the first place in Colombia to elect a Muslim mayor;[20] the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in the city is the third largest in Latin America.
According toFBI, Maicao is the focal point of Islamic terrorist groupHezbollah in South America.[21]
Various denominations have their own statistics:
Although the government does not keep official statistics on religious affiliation, a 2010 limited survey found[2]
The constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion; there is no official state religion, but the law says the state is not atheist or agnostic.[3] All cities and towns in Colombia have a church, but there are also sometemples,mosques andsynagogues in the largest cities.
A Colombian-grownTao (not to be confused withTaoísm) sect has spread significantly in recent years. In the 2000s, temples and congregations were target of aparamilitary repression whose motivations are still unclear.[26] EntireTao-Judío communities were massacred and leaders kidnapped.[26] The leader of theTao sect, Luis Morales Sierra, also known Kelium Zeus, along with other seven members, were also charged for kidnapping, homicide and criminal conspiracy.[27]In 2008 these communities organised and participated to various peaceful protests in some cities of Colombia.[28]
Some syncretic or native religious figures in the country are: The healing ghost ofJosé Gregorio Hernández, thePurgatory souls (Animas del Purgatorio), the Lonely Soul (Anima Sola), the Powerful hand, theBlack Christ ofBuga, Valle del Cauca, 20 JulyBaby Jesus (Divine Infant Jesus), Father Marianito (beatified Mariano de Jesus Euse Hoyos 1845–1926), thefertility rites of St Isidro and local variations of syncretism from other countries, such asSantería andMaria Lionza cult.[29]
TheNational Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) infrequently collects religious statistics, and accurate reports are difficult to obtain. However, based on various studies and a survey, about 90% of the population adheres toChristianity, the majority of which (70.9%) areRoman Catholic, while a significant minority (16.7%) adhere toProtestantism (primarilyEvangelicalism). Some 4.7% of the population isatheist oragnostic, while 3.5% claim to believe in God but do not follow a specific religion. 1.8% of Colombians adhere toJehovah's Witnesses andAdventism and less than 1% adhere to other religions, such asIslam,Judaism,Buddhism,Mormonism,Hinduism,Hare Krishna movement,Rastafari movement,Eastern Orthodox Church, and spiritual studies. The remaining people either did not respond or replied that they did not know. In addition to the above statistics, 35.9% of Colombians reported that they did not practice their faith actively.[2][30][31] 1,519,562 people in Colombia, or around 3% of the population reported following anIndigenous religion.
TheLatinobarometro 2024 estimated that Catholics comprised 57% of the population, other Christians made up 18% and 20% had no religion.[32]
While Colombia remains a mostly Roman Catholic country bybaptism numbers, the 1991 Colombian constitution guarantees freedom of religion and all religious faiths and churches are equally free before the law.[33]
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