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Uruguay - Religion

Roman Catholicism was the dominant religion in Uruguay, but Uruguay had long been a secular society. Uruguay's secularization began with the relatively minor role of the church in the colonial era, compared with other parts of the Spanish Empire. The small numbers of Uruguay's Indians, and their fierce resistance to proselytization, reduced the influence of the ecclesiastical authorities.

After independence, anticlerical ideas spread to Uruguay, particularly from France, further eroding the influence of the church. In 1837 civil marriage was recognized, and in 1861 the state took over public cemeteries. In 1907 divorce was legalized, and in 1909 all religious instruction was banned from state schools. Under the influence of the radical Colorado reformer Jose Batlle y Ordonez (1903-07, 1911-15), complete separation of church and state was introduced with the new constitution of 1917. Batlle y Ordonez went as far as to have religious holidays legally renamed. Even as of 1990, Uruguayans referred to Holy Week as "Tourism Week."

Nevertheless, the separation of church and state ended religious conflict in Uruguay, and since that time Catholic schools have been allowed to flourish. A Catholic party, the Civic Union of Uruguay (Union Civica del Uruguay—UCU), was founded in 1912 but never won more than a low percentage of the national vote.

By the 1960s, the progressive trend in the worldwide church was strongly felt in Uruguay under the influence of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. Particularly influential was the 1968 Latin American Bishops Conference in Medellin, Colombia, at which the concept of "structural sin" was put forward. By this doctrine, evil was seen as existing not only in the actions of individuals but also in the unequal organization of entire societies.

The second Latin American Bishops Conference, held in Mexico in 1979, also had an important dynamizing and radicalizing impact in Uruguay. This time, the bishops called for a "preferential option for the poor." Sections of the Uruguayan church in fact became quite radical: when members of the National Liberation Movement-Tupamaros (Movimiento de Liberation Nacional-Tupamaros—MLN-T) were given amnesty in 1985, for a time they were housed in a Montevideo monastery while they readjusted to normal life.

The US government estimates the total population at 3.3 million (July 2015 estimate). The National Institute of Statistics data on religious preference from 2008, the most recent year available, indicate approximately 45 percent of the population self-identifies as Roman Catholic, and approximately 10 percent as non-Catholic Christian. However, according to data compiled by the Uruguayan Bishops Conference in 1978, only 105,248 citizens regularly attended mass. This figure represented less than 4 percent of the population.

Groups that together constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bahais, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Afro-Umbandists (who blend elements of Catholicism with animism and African and indigenous beliefs), Jews, Buddhists, members of the Unification Church, and Muslims (300-400 adherents). Approximately 28 percent of the population indicates a belief in God but no specific religious affiliation and 15 percent are atheist or agnostic.

The Catholic Church is accorded the right to ownership of all churches that have been built wholly or partly from funds of the National Treasury, with the sole exception of chapels dedicated for use by asylums, hospitals, prisons, or other public establishments.

Religious groups are entitled to property tax exemptions only for their houses of worship. To receive such exemptions, a religious group must register with the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) as a nonprofit and present a dossier, including the organization’s structure and objectives. The ministry examines the dossier and determines if the religious group is eligible to receive a tax exemption. If approved, the group may request a property tax exemption from the taxing authority, usually the municipal government.

Religious instruction in public schools is prohibited by the constitution. Public schools are closed on major Christian holidays. Students belonging to non-Christian or minority religious groups may be absent from school on their religious holidays without penalty.

The Central Jewish Committee reported the official education curriculum continued to lack coverage of the Holocaust. In January the foreign minister presented a special message commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day which was broadcast on national media networks. The congress honored those whose lives had been lost during a special session. The government had observer status at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.