Figure 1.-- Here we see a Catholic religious procession in a small town. I think it is the saints day and the statue of the saint or relic is taken out from the Catholic Church and paraded through the town. You can see it behind the glass case. This is common practice throughout Latin America. An Italian reader writes, "The photo was probably taken on Good Friday. The statue in the background seems Our Lady of Sorrows. In front there is an urn, probably with the statue of the Dead Christ. Processions as this one are common in southern Spain as in southern Italy." Notice the role of the men in the procession. Men are much less present in Catholic church services.
Religious freedom in Puerto Rico as an American Commomwealth is guarateed by the U.S. Constitution. It is also guaranteed by the Commonwealth Constitution. Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony for 400 years. Spain was ardently Catholic and not only promoted the Roman Catholic church but used the Spanish Inquisition to keep other religions out of its colonies, including Protestants and Jews. This was a major objective of the Inquisition. Throughout the Spanish colonial era that was a strong connction between the Spanish coloniak Government and the Church. These restrictive edicts were relaxed in the 19th century, but only small numbers of indiciduals openly ahered to other religions. As a result the vast majority of Puerto Ricans are Roman Catholic. This is, however, more of a cultural than a religious matter. Church attendance is not high and we commonly see mostly women, especially older women, and children in the churches. This is similar to the pattern both elsewhere in Latin America and in Europe with a few exceptions, namly Poland. Puerto Ricans do not follow Roman Catholic dogma and rituals as strictly as do the churches in Spain and Italy. The Roman Catholic Church until after World War II was a conservative institution, especially the Spanish Church which contolled church affairs in the country's colonies. The Church supported spnish colonial rule and slavery. The clergy in Puerto Rico was all Spanish. Puero Ricans were denined access to the priesthood. Spain was one of the last countries to outlaw the slave trade and abolish slavery. Thus the Church supported slavery. This created resentment among the slaves and exslaves after abolition which affected attitudes toward the Church. Puerto Ricans did not achiece control of the Church until liberation by the Americans in Spanish-American War (1898). The new Purto Rican church leaders followed most Roman Catholic guidelines, but modified or ignored others. From the beginning of the Spanish conquest, there were Catholic missionaries side by side with the Conquistadores. As part of the conversion process, the priests often incorporated native beliefs and practices to make Catholcim more amenable to the people. A reader writes, "I don't know much about religion in Puerto Rico, but as in the other countries
of the Caribbean the syncretism between Christianity and traditional religions are probably quite common." In Puerto Rico this included both native Taíno and African traditions which were blended with mainstream tenets of the Catholic faith. Here African beliefs may be he most important as so much of the indigenous Taino peoples.
This is the case in the Caribbean, but not in the Spanish American mainland possessions. In the Caribbean,
the indignous Taino people perished soom after the arrival of the Spanish, because of both mistreatment and European diseases. Some authors believe that the Tainos laid the foundation. Perhaps an even more powerful if less formal religious ethic in Puerto Rico than Catholocism is espiritsmo (spiritualism)--some even describe it as the Island's real religi
on. It is a quasi-magical belief in occult forces, similar in many ways to Haitian Voodoo. Spanish colonial oiiciala outlawed spiritualism and the Church tried to root it out, but with little success. With the arrival of the Americans, restrictions on the free exercise of religion ended. Islanders generally embraced the idea of separating church and state. As a result, spiritualism began to flourish more openly. Protestantism also began to grow. There were Protestants on Puerto Rico before liberation, but with the arrival of the Americans, the numbers began to grow. This was an early beginning for a movement that since World War II has begun to sweep through Latin America. There are Protestant services for Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Evangelicals, and others. But it is the Protestant Pentecostal fundamentalism has had a major impact. There are now over 1,500 Evangelical on Puerto Rico. And unlike the Catholic Church you see devoted church attendance and family participation at the Evangelical services. There is also a difference in social orientation. The evangelical churches has not embraced the left wing ideas adopted by many Catholic church leasers, including now Pope Francis. There are a small number of Puero Rican Jews. There is a Jewish Community Center in Miramar and a Jewish Reformed Congregation in Santurce.
Religious Freedom
Religious freedom in Puerto Rico as an American Commomwealth is guarateed by the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion as well as free speech and asembly. It is one of the most important of all provisions of the Constitution. And it is o accident tht these rights are clustered togther in the First Amendment. Freedom of religion is also guaranteed by the Commonwealth Constitution.
Spanish Colonial Era
Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony for 400 years. Spain was ardently Catholic and not only promoted the Roman Catholic church but used the Spanish Inquisition to keep other religions out of its colonies, including Protestants and Jews. This was a major objective of the Inquisition. And the Inquosotion persisted into the 18th cenury, although with dimininishing intensity. Throughout the Spanish colonial era that was a strong connection between the Spanish colonial Government and the Church. These restrictive edicts were relaxed in the 19th century, but never entirely eliminated. Only small numbers of individuals openly ahered to other religionsm except spiritualism and this was not done openly by anyone with social status.
The population of Puerto Rico has gradually become more diverse in religious composition. This religious diversity is protected by the national Constitution, which allows citizens and residents to choose and practice the religion of their preference. This was not the case until the island became an American territoiry (1898). Puerto Rico and Cuba were the last two Spanish colonies where the Catholic Church was the state religion. The Island is still momimally Catholic, in many cases more of a cultural statement than a religious one. Many Puerto Ricans who idntify as Catholics do not attend church, except perhpas on special occassuions. This is especially true of the men. Protestants have gradually become an impoerant part of the Island's religious mosacic. This is not a religion imposed on Puerto Ricans, but rather an important relhious movemrnt aided at first by missionaries and developed mistly ny Puerto Ricans themselves. The intensity of religious belief is much greater among the Protestants than the Catholics.
