Chile Religion

Eighty-five percent of Chileans identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and rather than remain allied with conservative elements, the Roman Catholic Church exists as a religious body that is representative of Chilean society as a whole. Chilean Catholics, practicing or not, tend to respect the tenets of their church (although some reject the more rigidly conservative views of the Vatican on several issues, including artificial birth control, marriage of the clergy, and abortion). Chileans maintain ties to the church through sacraments such as baptism, marriage, and last rites, while attendance at Sunday mass varies across the country. The movement to support social change with religious backing, known as Liberation Theology, appeals to Chileans primarily concerned with social issues.

Protestant sects, such as the Anglican and Lutheran churches, mainly serve members of the small English and German communities that remain in Chile. Chileans dissatisfied with the Roman Catholic Church prefer to embrace evangelical denominations that were introduced to Chile through missionaries from the United States during the 20th century. Other Christian groups that are now established include Baptists, Evangelicals, Methodists, Mormons, Presbyterians, and Seventh-Day Adventists.

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