U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2002 - Paraguay
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Publication Date | 7 October 2002 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2002 - Paraguay , 7 October 2002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3da3f0898.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Comments | This report is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State in compliance with Section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. The law provides that the Secretary of State, with the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, shall transmit to Congress "an Annual Report on International Religious Freedom supplementing the most recent Human Rights Reports by providing additional detailed information with respect to matters involving international religious freedom." This Annual Report includes 195 reports on countries worldwide. The 2002 Report covers the period from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2002. |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice.
There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.
The generally amicable relationship among religions in society contributed to religious freedom.
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has a total area of 158,886 square miles, and its population is approximately 5,586,000 persons (2000 estimate).
An estimated 90 percent of the population are Roman Catholic. There are active Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical Christian, Jewish (both Orthodox and Reform congregations), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon), Muslim, and Baha'i communities in the country. There also are sizable Mennonite communities, whose members originally came to the country to escape religious persecution. These refugees immigrated in several waves between 1880 and 1950.
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion for all persons, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The Government at all levels strives to protect this right in full, and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The Constitution and other laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion.
All religious groups must be registered with the Ministry of Education and Culture; however, the Government imposes no controls on these groups and many informal churches exist.
The Government is secular. Most government officials are Catholic. Adherence to a particular creed confers no legal advantage or disadvantage, and foreign and local missionaries proselytize freely. The Government does not take any particular steps to promote interfaith understanding.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
Government policy and practice contributed to the generally free practice of religion.
There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees.
Forced Religious Conversion
There were no reports of forced religious conversion, including of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.
Section III. Societal Attitudes
While there is no large-scale ecumenical movement in the country, all religious groups freely exercise their beliefs in a largely tolerant environment. The Catholic Church often performs Mass for government functions, Protestant and evangelical churches engage in marches and prayer vigils, and part of the Jewish community holds a large public menorah lighting every year for Hanukkah. Protestant evangelical groups such as the Assembly of God and New Tribes conduct missionary activities without government interference.
The Catholic Church is involved in politics at the fringe, mostly in socio-economic matters, and does not support any particular political party. The Church freely criticizes the Government.
In May 2002, a building in Asuncion was spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti, in the first such incident in 15 years. Results of the police investigation were not known at the end of the period covered by this report.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights. The U.S. Ambassador and embassy officials meet regularly with representatives of different religious groups.
