Figure 1.--Onisim Kowal was a Pentecostal Pastor. He and his wife Eva Kotsuba(both born in Poland) led a Pentecostal mission in Paraguay. Then they and their nine children seen here were born in Paraguay. They subsequently moved to California.

Paraguay is ovewealmingly Catholic. The Native American population was Christianized early in the colonial period. The Pope created the Bishopric of Asunción (1547). The first bishop arrived in Asuncion (1556). Three Jesuits came to pacify and convert the Guarani who were resisting Spanish control as they had earlier resisted the Inca (1588). The Jesuits soon realized the Spanish and Portuguese settkers were enslaving the Guarani in violstion to royal decrees. They thus set out both to convert and protect the Guarani. They proceeded to settle the Native Americans in reducciones (townships) under Jesuit control. At the peak of this approach, an estimsted 0.1 million Native Americans were libing in these reducciones. After 150 years the Jesuits were expelled and the Native Americans lost their protectors (1767). Some of the reducción Native Americans were over time absorbed into mestizo society, Others returned to indigenous communities. Eventually additional Jesuits and Franciscans arrived, working primarily n the southeastern area of modern Paraguay and along the shores of the Río Paraná in what is now Argentina and Brazil. Church state relations have varied. The country in the 19th century was caught up in the liberal movement to develop a more secular nation. Religion has been a unifying force. The Church was virtually the only institution that is not caught up in traditional kinship patterns. As in the rest of Latin Anerica, the Church has largely influenced fiestas and other celebrations. In rural indigenous areas, Catholic religious dogma has not penetrated as deeply. Catholic saints are often basically revered figures devoid of religious content. The country is overwealmingly Catholic. The Catholic Church has been a fundamentally conservative institution. After World War II, especially by the 1960s we begin to see lineral thought emnerging in the Church. Children in ueban areas do First Communions, especially the well-to-do and middle class. We are not sure about the rural poor. There is also a small Protestant minority as a result of the work of Anerican and European missionary work. Paraguay also has a small, but active Mennoite community.

History

Paraguay is ovewealmingly Catholic. The Native American population was Christianized early in the colonial period. The Pope created the Bishopric of Asunción (1547). The first bishop arrived in Asuncion (1556). Three Jesuits came to pacify and convert the Guarani who were resisting Spanish control as they had earlier resisted the Inca (1588). The Jesuits soon realized the Spanish and Portuguese settkers were enslaving the Guarani in violstion to royal decrees. They thus set out both to convert and protect the Guarani. They proceeded to settle the Native Americans in reducciones (townships) under Jesuit control. At the peak of this approach, an estimsted 0.1 million Native Americans were libing in these reducciones. After 150 years the Jesuits were expelled and the Native Americans lost their protectors (1767). Some of the reducción Native Americans were over time absorbed into mestizo society, Others returned to indigenous communities. Eventually additional Jesuits and Franciscans arrived, working primarily in the southeastern area of modern Paraguay and along the shores of the Río Paraná in what is now Argentina and Brazil. Church state relations have varied. The country in the 19th century was caught up in the liberal movement to develop a more secular nation. Religion has been a unifying force. Relations between church and state in Paragay have traditionally been close. This was especially the case whrn the Church was a consertvative force. Historically church-state relations, have not always been cordial beginning in the 19th century. The 1967 Constitution made major changes in the laws regulatying religion in Pataguay. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but recognizes the unique place that Catholicism has in the country's culture. The president must be a Roman Catholic, but the clergy of all denominations are prohibited from serving as deputies or senators in the national parliament. Religious groups are discouraged from active partisan political activity.

Social Patterns

The Church was virtually the only institution that is not caught up in traditional kinship patterns. As in the rest of Latin Anerica, the Church has largely influenced fiestas and other celebrations. In rural indigenous areas, Catholic religious dogma has not penetrated as deeply. Catholic saints are often basically revered figures devoid of religious content. Among Paraguayan, Catholicm is an important part of threir every day liofe. Many homes including the poor have pictures of the saints on the wall. Family shrine in the homeare not uncommon. Catholic religious ritual marked the important transitions in life: baptism, confirmation, marriage, and burial, although here social class often affect the degree of onservance. Participation in these rites are affected by both social class and gender. A major factor here is the costs involved. Political considerations are also a factor, but interestingly not as important as one might affect.

Individual Religious Groups

The country is overwealmingly Catholic. Some thing like 95 percent of Paraguayands identify as being Catholic. This is commonly more of a cultural affiliation. Only a small minority of Paraguayan Catholics are axctive Catholics. This is esxpecially the case among adult men, most of whom rarely attend religious services. The Catholic Church has been a fundamentally conservative institution. Major changes occurred within the Churchbin thge 20th century. The modern Paraguayan church was established largely under the direction of Juan Sinforiano Bogarón (archbishop of Asunción, 1930- 49) and Aníbal Mena Porta (archbishop of Asunción, 1949-69). Both saw major reforms were needed. They sought to reorganize the Church to remove it from an acvtive partocipant in the country's contant political strife and to become a neutral mediator among the competing political factions. After World War II, especially by the 1960s we begin to see liberal thought emnerging in the Church. Children in urban areas do First Communions, especially the well-to-do and middle class. We are not sure about the rural poor. There is also a small Protestant minority as a result of the work of Anerican and European missionary work. In contrast to Catholics, active religuious practice is much more common. Paraguay also has a small, but active Mennoite community. We also note a Pentacostal community of about 2,000 Slavic homesteading families that were given land by the Paraguayan governement during the 1930s.

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Created: 9:09 AM 10/1/2010
9:10 AM 10/1/20108:23 AM 10/1/2010