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Catholic Church in El Salvador

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The Catholic Church in El Salvador is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome and the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador. There are almost 5 million Catholics in El Salvador. The country is divided into eight dioceses including one archdiocese, San Salvador. The Constitution explicitly recognizes the Catholic Church and it has legal status.

According to a February 2021 survey by the University of Central America’s Institute of Public Opinion, 43.3% of the population saw themselves as Catholic, 33.9% as evangelical Christian, and 18.6% had no religious affiliation.

Despite its legal status, Catholicism in El Salvador has been in decline for the last 17 years with the most devout members above age 53. According to some sources, Catholicism is only adhered to by 39% of its populace. Catholicism is most dominant in the San Vicente Department and weakest in Santa Ana. In the fall of 2018, El Salvador had its first saint, Blessed Oscar Romero.

History and society

Catholicism began in the nation in the sixteenth century with the arrival of Pedro de Alvarado. San Salvador was made an archdiocese on February 11, 1913 with Monsignor Antonio Adolfo Perez as first Archbishop. Prior to that date it had been under the jurisdiction of Guatemala. Archbishop Luis Chávez y González from 1939 to 1977 encouraged priests to study farming cooperatives and made efforts toward improving the poorest sectors of El Salvador (although in other respects he was a conservative who favored film censorship, staunchly opposed Communism, and was devoted to Pope Pius XII).

The governments have had a mixed relationship with the Catholic Church varying from friendly to anti-clerical. The most overtly Catholic-influenced political party might be the Partido Demócrata Cristiano with José Napoleón Duarte as one of its most noted founding members. The dealings of the government with the Catholic Church or Catholic organizations varied depending on the leadership of church or state at any given time. In modern times El Salvador is noted for having members linked to social and reform movements. At times these include followers of what's termed Liberation theology. The most well-known figure in the El Salvadoran church's history is Archbishop of San Salvador Óscar Romero. On March 24, 1980, during the civil war in El Salvador he was assassinated while saying Mass because of his positions regarding the government and demands to the end of the violence in the nation. In 2004 the Church in El Salvador asked for a reinvestigation of the case. A federal judge trying a conspiracy count against a former Salvadoran military officer termed Romero's killing "a crime against humanity."

Despite that, most of the church in El Salvador is more conservative than this and had no sympathy to the rebels during the civil war. Fernando Sáenz Lacalle, originally of Opus Dei, is the current Archbishop of San Salvador. He is in general an opponent of Liberation theology and his appointment in 1995 was viewed with disdain by followers of that controversial school of thought. He has been active in charitable work for earthquake victims and outspoken against violence.

El Salvador's first and only Cardinal, Gregorio Rosa Chavez, was an Auxiliary Bishop to the Archbishop of San Salvador Jose Luis Escobar Alas, was appointed by Pope Francis. He retired in October 2022.

Churches of El Salvador

Iglesia El Rosario, frente a Plaza Libertad.jpg|Iglesia El Rosario, San Salvador File:Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador.png|Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador CATEDRAL DE SAN MIGUEL, EL SALVADOR - panoramio.jpg|Cathedral Basilica of Queen of Peace, San Miguel Iglesia Don Rua.JPG|Iglesia Don Rua, San Salvador Fachada principal de la Iglesia El Calvario.JPG|Iglesia El Calvario, San Salvador El Carmen SantaTecla.jpg|Iglesia El Carmen, San Salvador Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jesús.jpg|Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, San Salvador Santa Ana Catedral Nuestra Señora de Santa Ana 2.jpg|Santa Ana Cathedral, El Salvador Iglesia Santa Lucía de Suchitoto.JPG|Iglesia Santa Lucía, Suchitoto Iglesia Catolica Dulce Nombre de Maria.jpg|Church in Dulce Nombre de María Santa Ana Iglesia El Carmen.jpg|Iglesia El Carmen, Santa Ana, El Salvador Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción..jpg|Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Ahuachapán Zacatecoluca Catedral Nuestra Señora de los Pobres 2.jpg|Our Lady of the Poor Cathedral, Zacatecoluca San Salvador Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.jpg|Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, San Salvador Department Iglesia del Cristo Negro de Juayua.jpg|Iglesia del Cristo Negro, Juayua Iglesia de San Pedro Perulapán.jpg|Iglesia de San Pedro Perulapán Iglesia Parroquial de Santiago Apostol, Santiago Texacuangos, San Salvador.jpg|Iglesia Parroquial de Santiago Apostol, Santiago Texacuangos, San Salvador Department Iglesia del Perpetuo Socorro.JPG|Iglesia del Perpetuo Socorro, San Salvador Iglesia El Calvario San Miguel El Salvador.jpg|Iglesia El Calvario San Miguel, San Miguel, El Salvador Iglesia Parroquial de San José Guayabal.JPG|Iglesia Parroquial de San José Guayabal Catedral San Vicente.jpg|San Vicente Cathedral, El Salvador Iglesia Parroquial San Miguel Arcangel en Ilobasco.JPG|Iglesia Parroquial San Miguel Arcangel in Ilobasco Iglesia San Francisco Gotera - panoramio.jpg|Iglesia San Francisco Gotera Iglesia Santa Barbara en Sensuntepeque, Cabañas.jpg|Iglesia Santa Barbara en Sensuntepeque Iglesia de Chalchuapa.jpg|Parroquia Santiago Apostol, Chalchuapa IGLESIA EL CALVARIO.JPG|Iglesia el Calvario, Santa Ana, El Salvador Iglesia de San Pedro Nonualco.JPG|Iglesia de San Pedro Nonualco Iglesia de la Parroquia Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Izalco.jpg|Iglesia de la Parroquia Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Izalco Catedral de Sonsonate.jpg|Sonsonate Cathedral Iglesia Parroquial San Juan Evangelista, San Juan Opico, El Salvador. Fachada.jpg|:Iglesia Parroquial San Juan Evangelista, San Juan Opico 100 4073.JPG|Iglesia de Panchimalco

Statistics

Parishes	518

Culture and festivals

A variety of saint days are celebrated as local holidays. The country itself is called "El Salvador" which translates as "The Savior" and takes the Transfigured Jesus, the Divine Savior of the World, as its patron saint, and His Feast Day on August 6 is a national holiday. The nation's co-patroness is Our Lady of Peace.

A noted Catholic school is the Jesuit Externado San José whose alumni include ex-president Armando Calderón Sol and Roque Dalton, a Communist poet. A prominent seminary is San José de la Montaña in San Salvador where both Romero and liberation theologian Rutilio Grande studied.

Notes

References

[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/el-salvador/ US State Dept 2022 report]
Latinobarometro, Opinion Publica Latinoamericana, Enero 2018.
[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+sv0049) El Salvador: The Role of Religion], Nov 1988
[http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20041212/dominical/dominical3.asp La Prensa archive] {{webarchive. link. (2007-05-20)
[http://www.iglesiacr.org/content/view/99/7/ Iglesia cr] {{webarchive. link. (2007-05-24)
[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3636536.stm Church call over Salvador murder], BBC, 8 September 2004
[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+sv0101) El Salvador: The Roman Catholic Church], Nov 1988
[http://www.tulane.edu/~latinlib/RESTRICTED/Report_from_El_Salvador/1995_0424.txt Report from El Salvador] {{Webarchive. link. (2006-09-20 , Fundacion Flor de Izote, April 17-April 24, 1995)
[http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=6112 Anglican Recognition No Effect On Romero's Cause, Archbishop Says], Catholic World News, 21 October 1997
[https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/7389/archbishop-calls-on-salvadorans-to-collaborate-in-eradication-of-violence Archbishop calls on Salvadorans to collaborate in eradication of violence], Catholic News Agency, 15 August 2006
[https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brosa.html Catholic Hierarchy website, retrieved 2023-08-03]
[https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/el-salvador Catholics And Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-03]
"El Salvador.org".

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