Christianity is the dominantreligion inLesotho,[2] withProtestantism andCatholicism being its main denominations.[3][4]
The 2022United States Department of State report found Protestants slightly outnumbered Catholics.[2] Non-Christian religions represent only 1.5% of the population, and those of no religion 3.5%.[5] The non-Christian people primarily subscribe to traditional African religions, with small groups ofMuslims,Hindus andBaha'is.[2][6]
In 2020, Catholics accounted for 45 percent of the population while Protestants represented 31 percent and other Christians an additional 18 percent.[7] The Catholic population is served by the province of the MetropolitanArchbishop of Maseru and his three suffragans (the bishops ofLeribe,Mohale's Hoek andQacha's Nek), who also form the nationalepiscopal conference.
Christianity arrived in Lesotho from French missions at the invitation of KingMoshoeshoe I in the 1830s.[8] While King Moshoeshoe I invited Christian missionaries, he retained his traditional religion and divorced two of his wives who had converted to Christianity.[8] Initial reports of French evangelist missionaries alleged cannibalism as a part of Lesotho traditional religion. Later missionaries such as Henry Callaway, as well as anthropologists, consider those initial reports as unreliable and mythical, rather than a historical or true representation of the traditional religion of the Lesotho people.[9]
The first Catholic mission started in 1863. It was called Motse-oa-'M'a-Jesu and led by Bishop Allard. He invited Holy Family Sisters from France to work with Sotho women. The initial efforts aimed at gaining converts as well as ending the practice of polygyny where old men paid a bride price to marry young girls. The later efforts attracted resistance from the traditional families. According to Allard's memoirs, Sotho women converted to Catholicism in larger numbers earlier than Sotho men.[10]
The two Christian denominations have historic links to two major political parties in Lesotho. The Catholic Church has supported theBasotho National Party, while the Evangelicals have been aligned with the Basotho Congress Party.[4] Thenuncio accredited to South Africa represents the Holy See to the Lesotho government.[4]
The traditional Sotho religion is traceable with archaeological evidence to around the 10th century. They share themes with the Tswana traditional religion. The Chief of a Sotho community was also their spiritual leader. Ancestor spirits calledBadimo worship practices were a significant part of the Sotho community, along with rituals such as rainmaking dance. The Sotho had developed the concept ofModimo, the Supreme Being. TheModimo, in Sotho theology, created lesser deities with powers to interact with human beings.[11]
The Lesotho constitution protects the freedom of religion.[2]
In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.[12]
