Roman Catholicism in El Salvador
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in El Salvador is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
and curia
in Rome
. There are almost five million Catholics in El Salvador
. The country is divided into eight diocese
s including one archdiocese, San Salvador. The Constitution
explicitly recognizes the Roman Catholic Church and it has legal status.
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. However, the religion remains a majority in all age groups, although it is a slim majority among the young. Catholicism is most dominant in the San Vicente Department
and weakest in Santa Ana
.
. 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 performing his 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 school of thought. He has been active in charitable work for earthquake victims and outspoken against violence.
total number of servers || 2,564,869,104
A noted Catholic school is the Jesuit
-run 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.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and curia
Curia (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholicism, a curia consists of a group of officials who assist in the governance of a particular Church. These curias range from the relatively simple diocesan curia, to the larger patriarchal curias, to the Roman Curia, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.Other...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. There are almost five million Catholics in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. The country is divided into eight diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s including one archdiocese, San Salvador. The Constitution
Constitution of El Salvador
The current constitution was put in place in 1983 and amended in 2003.-Provisions of the 1983 constitution:The Constitution of 1983 is in many ways quite similar to the constitution of 1962, often incorporating verbatim passages from the earlier document...
explicitly recognizes the Roman Catholic Church and it has legal status.
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. However, the religion remains a majority in all age groups, although it is a slim majority among the young. Catholicism is most dominant in the San Vicente Department
San Vicente Department
San Vicente is a department of El Salvador in the center of the country. The capital is San Vicente. On October 4, 1834, San Vicente City of Austria and Lorenzana was made the capital of State of El Salvador during the Federal Republic of Central America...
and weakest in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, El Salvador
Santa Ana is the second largest city in El Salvador, located 64 kilometers west of San Salvador, the capital city. Santa Ana has approximately 274,830 inhabitants and serves both as the capital of the department of Santa Ana and...
.
History and society
Catholicism began in the nation in the sixteenth century with the invasion y Pedro de AlvaradoPedro de Alvarado
Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras was a Spanish conquistador and governor of Guatemala. He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva's exploration of the coasts of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the conquest of Mexico led by Hernan Cortes...
. San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran 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
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Archbishop Luis Chávez y González
Luis Chávez y González
Luis Chávez y González was the seventh Bishop and third Archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador, and immediate predecessor of Archbishop Óscar Romero. Unlike Romero, who served for three years before being assassinated in 1980, Msgr. Chávez had an archbishopric that was long and low key...
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
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, and was devoted to Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
).
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
Christian Democratic Party (El Salvador)
The Christian Democratic Party is a political party in El Salvador.In the legislative elections, held on 16 March 2003, the party won 7.3% of the popular vote and 5 out of 84 seats in the Legislative Assembly. In the presidential election of 21 March 2004, the PDC supported Héctor Silva Argüello...
with José Napoleón Duarte
José Napoleón Duarte
José Napoleón Duarte Fuentes was a Salvadoran political figure who, from March 3, 1980, to 1982, led the civil-military Revolutionary Government Junta that took power in a 1979 coup d'état...
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
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
. The most well-known figure in the El Salvadoran church's history is Archbishop of San Salvador Óscar Romero
Óscar Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was a bishop of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, succeeding Luis Chávez. He was assassinated on 24 March 1980....
. On March 24, 1980, during the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
in El Salvador he was assassinated while performing his 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
Fernando Sáenz Lacalle
-External links:*...
, originally of Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
, is the current Archbishop of San Salvador. He is in general an opponent of Liberation theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
and his appointment in 1995 was viewed with disdain by followers of that school of thought. He has been active in charitable work for earthquake victims and outspoken against violence.
Statistics
| Diocesan Priests | 441 |
| Religious Priests | 236 |
| Total priests | 677 |
| Priests per capita | 1 in 5,689 |
| Permanent deacons | 40 |
| Males in other Religious Orders | 410 |
| Females in religious life | 1,491 |
| Parishes | 358 |
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-patronness is Our Lady of Peace.A noted Catholic school is the Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
-run Externado San José
Externado San José
Externado San José is a private and Catholic school run by the Society of Jesus in San Salvador, El Salvador.-Brief history:A recognized Catholic and private institution of basic and secondary education run by the Jesuits. It was founded in 1921 and operated as a school for boys until the 1970s,...
whose alumni include ex-president Armando Calderón Sol
Armando Calderón Sol
Armando Calderón Sol was President of El Salvador from June 1, 1994 to June 1, 1999, representing the Nationalist Republican Alliance .-Biography:Armando Calderón Sol was born in San Salvador, on June 24, 1948....
and Roque Dalton
Roque Dalton
Roque Dalton García was a Salvadoran poet and journalist. He is considered one of Latin America's most compelling poets...
, a Communist poet. A prominent seminary is San José de la Montaña in San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
where both Romero and liberation theologian Rutilio Grande
Rutilio Grande
Rutilio Grande García was a Jesuit priest in El Salvador and a promoter of liberation theology. He was assassinated in 1977, along with two other Salvadorans. He was a close friend of Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero...
studied.