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The Argentine State religion is Roman Catholic of the Apostolic succession although the National Constitution protects each citizen’s unalienable right to freedom of religion.
This is evidenced in that along with Catholicism, some 2,500 cults, regardless of size or influence, and ranging the gamut from the well established religions (Protestantism, Judaism, Buddhism etc.) to those recently funded or those that split from traditional religions, coexist under state guaranteed juridical protection.
The country’s and city’s statistics show the following: 88% of the population is Catholic, 7% Protestant, 1.5% Muslim, 1% Jewish, and the remaining 2.5% adhere to other religions.
Moreover, private studies have shown the extent to which argentines’ practice their faith. A Gallup survey concluded that of the 78% who designate themselves as Catholics, only 8% go to church more than once a month, and only 16% go once a month. Additionally, of those who attend Catholic mass the survey showed that 28% attend weekly while 25% never go. Finally, there is a very strong presence of Catholics at their temples during religious ceremonies, such as ecclesiastic celebrations, weddings and funerals.
Drawn from this statistical data and some sociological studies conducted with respect to the general perspective, in which other religions were included, it can be noted that there has been a change in the relation between the individual and his religious institutions and that there is a search for individual freedom –few argentine Catholics scrupulously accept the Vatican’s’ established rules against using protection to prevent pregnancy and planned pregnancy. There is also a markedly tendency to turn to less sophisticated and less demanding cults.
It is important to emphasize that as a particularity of this country, the ties between the most commonly accepted faith and their cultural heritage is apparent in their devotion of prototypical regional figures such as Ceferino Namuncurá, La Difunta Correa, el Gauchito Gil.
Some Catholic Churches
IGLESIA MATER MISERICORDIAE MORENO 1669
NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA RÁBIDA BELGRANO 1502
BASÍLICA NUESTRA SEÑORA DE MONTSERRAT BELGRANO 1151
IGLESIA SAN JUAN BAUTISTA ALSINA 824
IGLESIA SAN IGNACIO DE LOYOLA BOLÍVAR 225
BASÍLICA DEL SANTÍSIMO ROSARIO Y SANTO DOMINGO DEFENSA 422
BASÍLICA DE SAN FRANCISCO DE ASÍS Y CAPILLA DE SAN ROQUE ALSINA 380
CATEDRAL METROPOLITANA RIVADAVIA Y SAN MARTÍN
Source: 365 Info Buenos Aires
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