Many Protestants in Latin America identify with Pentecostalism. A median of 65% of Protestants either say they belong to a church that is part of a Pentecostal denomination (median of 47%) or personally identify as a Pentecostal Christian regardless of their denomination (median of 52%), with some overlap between the categories across 18 countries and Puerto Rico. In the usa, fewer than half Hispanic Protestants describe by themselves as Pentecostal by church denomination (29%), self-identification (42%) or both (45%). In addition 
, 46% of Hispanic Catholics into the U.S. and a median of 40per cent of Catholics across Latin America state these are typically “charismatic” – a term utilized to describe Catholics whom integrate opinions and techniques connected with Pentecostalism within their worship. 3
Immense percentages of Protestants across Latin America state they participate in thinking and methods connected with “gifts regarding the Holy Spirit,” such as for instance divine exorcism and healing. In a lot of the nations surveyed, at the least 50 % of Protestants report they have witnessed or skilled the divine recovery of a condition or damage, as well as minimum a 3rd say they will have experienced or witnessed the devil being driven away from a individual.
Smaller but significant stocks of Catholics also report charismatic experiences. This is especially valid in areas of Central America plus the Caribbean, where roughly 50 % of Catholics in El Salvador (53%), the Dominican Republic (50%), Nicaragua (49%) and Guatemala (46%) report they have witnessed or skilled a divine recovery. At the very least one-in-five Catholics within the Dominican Republic (36%), Honduras (26%), Guatemala (23%), Nicaragua (23%), Venezuela (22%), Panama (21%) and Colombia (21%) state they are current for an exorcism.
The study additionally asked participants about “speaking in tongues” – a practice closely related to Pentecostalism all over the world. In a lot of the nations polled, at the least protestants that are one-in-five they really have actually talked in tongues, including about four-in-ten in Panama (39%) and a 3rd in Brazil (33%). In contrast, relatively few Catholics report talking in tongues, which range from 1% in Argentina, Chile and Panama to 12per cent in Guatemala.
The study additionally asked churchgoing participants how many times they see other worshipers speaking in tongues, praying for the miraculous recovery or “prophesying” (spontaneously uttering a note or “word of real information” believed in the future through the Holy Spirit). Many Latin American Protestants state that speaking in tongues, praying for the miraculous recovery and prophesying are regular occurrences inside their spiritual services. less Catholics state that such actions are on display during Catholic worship services, and majorities of Catholics in Uruguay (63%), Argentina (61%) and Puerto Rico (60%) report that speaking in tongues, praying for the miraculous recovery and prophesying should never be section of their worship techniques.
In lot of nations in Latin America, nonetheless, at half that is least of Catholics state they usually have witnessed these techniques during Mass at the very least sometimes. As an example, majorities of Catholics into the Dominican Republic (77%), Honduras (61%) and Paraguay (60%) state they usually have witnessed other worshipers talking in tongues, praying for a healing that is miraculous prophesying. (For definitions of terms, start to see the glossary.)
The Religiously Unaffiliated
Latin America’s religious landscape is being reshaped not just by those that have switched from Catholic to Protestant churches but in addition by individuals who have quit any affiliation with prepared religion. The unaffiliated category includes people who describe on their own as atheist, agnostic or having no specific faith.
Uruguay is house to your biggest portion of consistently unaffiliated grownups in Latin America (37%), roughly twice as much share of unaffiliated individuals in virtually any other country in the area. (See Religion in Uruguay.)
Across Latin America, in addition to among Hispanics in america, most individuals who are unaffiliated state they own no particular faith as opposed to explaining on their own as atheist or agnostic. About one-in-ten or higher grownups in Uruguay (24%), the Dominican Republic (18%), El Salvador (12%) and Chile (11%) state they have no religion that is particular. In america, 15% of Hispanics get into this category.
Religion in Uruguay
On numerous concerns within the study, Uruguay can be an outlier, far and away Latin America’s many secular nation. Completely 37% of Uruguayans say they own no religion that is particular are atheist or agnostic. In no other Latin American nation surveyed do the religiously unaffiliated make up even 20% for the populace.
Laicidad, or perhaps the separation of faith while the state, has a long history in Uruguay. In 1861, the national federal government nationalized cemeteries in the united states, breaking their affiliations with churches. Right after, the us government prohibited churches from having a job in public areas training or marriage that is issuing. 4 Secularization proceeded when you look at the twentieth century: a fresh constitution enshrined the separation of faith from public life, sources to Jesus were taken from the parliamentary oath and spiritual sources had been fallen through the names of metropolitan areas and villages. 5
Today, Uruguay has definitely the best quantities of spiritual commitment on the list of nations polled. Less than a third of Uruguayans (28%) say that faith is vital within their life; in no other nation surveyed do less than four-in-ten individuals say this. Fairly few Uruguayans say they pray daily (29%) or go to spiritual solutions weekly (13%). In neighboring Brazil, in comparison, 61% of adults say they pray daily, and 45% report services that are attending minimum once per week.
In terms of views that are social attitudes toward morality, Uruguay regularly stands apart for the liberalism. It’s the country that is only where a lot of the general public favors enabling same-sex couples to legally marry (62%), and where up to 50 % of grownups (54%) state that abortion must certanly be appropriate in every or many cases. Which is the country that is only the location where a big part (57%) states that spiritual leaders needs to have “no impact after all” in governmental issues.
