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PortugalInternational Religious Freedom Report 2004 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
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; there are a number
of government and privately sponsored activities that contribute to
interfaith understanding.
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom
issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human
rights.
Section I. Religious
Demography The country has a total area of 35,672 square
miles, and the population as of July 2003 was estimated to be 10.3
million. More than 80 percent of the population above the age of 12
identify with the Roman Catholic Church; however, a large percentage state
that they do not participate actively in church activities. Approximately
4 percent identify with various Protestant denominations (including about
250,000 Evangelists) and approximately 1 percent with non-Christian
religions. Less than 3 percent state that they have no religion.
Practitioners of non-Christian religions
include approximately 35,000 Muslims (largely from Portuguese Africa, who
are ethnically sub-Saharan African or South Asian), approximately 700
Jews, and very small numbers of Buddhists, Taoists, and Zoroastrians.
There is also a Hindu community of about 7,000 persons, which largely
traces its origins to South Asians who emigrated from Portuguese Africa
and the former Portuguese colony of Goa in India. Many of these minority
communities are not organized formally.
Government estimates suggestthat there are over
200,000 immigrants from Eastern European countries in the country. Over
half of these immigrants are from the Ukraine; many are Eastern Orthodox.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) reports 35,000
members. Brazilian syncretistic Catholic churches, which combine Catholic
ritual with pre-Christian Afro-Brazilian ritual, such as Candomble and
Umbanda, also operate in small numbers, as do Seventh-day Adventists. The
Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (the Universal Church of the Kingdom of
God), a proselytizing church that originated in Brazil, also exists. The
Church of Scientology has
approximately 200 active members, primarily in the Lisbon area.
Foreign missionary groups, such as the Mormons,
operate freely.
Section II. Status of Religious
Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
The Constitution provides for freedom of
religion, 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 prohibits discrimination based on religion.
The Government is secular. Other than the
Constitution, the two most important documents relating to religious
freedom are the 2001 Religious Freedom Act and the 1940 Concordat with the
Holy See.
The Religious Freedom Act, passed in April
2001, created a legislative framework for religions established in the
country for at least 30 years, or those recognized internationally for at
least 60 years. The act provides qualifying religions with benefits
previously reserved for the Catholic Church: Full tax-exempt status; legal
recognition for marriage and other rites; chaplain visits to prisons and
hospitals; and respect for traditional holidays. It allows for each
religion to negotiate its own Concordat-style agreement with the
Government, although it does not ensure the acceptance of any such
agreements. The act also called for an independent consultative commission
within the Justice Ministry to oversee the application of the act.
Representatives of some religions protested the fact that the Catholic
Church, although exempt from the act, was granted membership on the
commission. Rules enabling this legislation took effect in December 2003;
however, no group has instituted action to reach such agreement under
these rules during the period covered by this report.
The Catholic Church maintains a separate
agreement with the Government under the 1940 terms of the Concordat. To
comply constitutionally with the Religious Freedom Act, the Government
negotiated with the Vatican and signed the new amended Concordat on May
18. This document abrogates the previous Concordat, which had been in
force for 64 years but was considered obsolete given the changes in
national life. As of the end of the reporting period, the new Concordat
was scheduled to be approved by Parliament on July 8; it then must be
approved by the President of the Republic. The new Concordat recognizes
for the first time the juridical personality of the Portuguese Episcopal
Conference. The Catholic Church will be able to receive 0.5 percent of the
income tax that citizens can allocate to various institutions in their
annual tax returns. The revised Concordat also provides for the civil
recognition of a non-consummated canonical marriage. These are cases in
which, as the Code of Canon Law establishes, there has been no sacramental
marriage, despite the fact that a ceremony took place.
Public secondary school curriculums include an
optional course called "religion and morals." This course functions as a
survey of world religions and is taught by laypersons. It can be used to
give instruction on the Catholic religion; the Catholic Church must
approve all teachers for this course. Other religions may set up such a
course if they have 10 or more children in the particular school. For
example, the Evangelical Alliance held 243 classes in schools during the
2002-03 school year. Under the 2001 Act, each religion may approve the
course's respective instructors.
The Government is in the process of
establishing a Working Group for Inter-Religious Dialogue, a task force to
promote multicultural and multireligious dialogue between the Government
and society. Among its objectives are fostering tolerance for religious
diversity, promotion of interreligious studies, and participation in
national and international religious events. The working group will be led
by a Government-appointed chairman and will consist primarily of teachers
who, by the nature of their jobs, have professional experience in this
area; however, it had not begun operation during the period covered by
this report.
Under the Concordat, major Catholic holidays
also are official holidays. Seven of the country's 16 national holidays
are Catholic holidays.
The Diocese of Leiria-Fatima is no
longerseeking funding to establish a cable television station. Currently,
it is broadcasting through the Brazilian Catholic Television network,
Cancao Nova.
The Government takes active steps to promote
interfaith understanding. Most notably 5 days a week the state television
channel (Radiotelevisao Portuguesa 2) broadcasts "A Fe dos Homens" ("The
Faith of Men") a half-hour program consisting of various segments written
and produced by different religious communities. The Government pays for
the segments, and professional production companies are hired under
contract to produce the segments. Religious communities send delegates to
a special television commission, which determines the scheduling of
segments. The television commission has operated on the general rule that
religious communities eligible for the program are those that have been
operating for at least 30 years in the country or at least 60 years in
their country of origin.
The Catholic Church receives 22.5 minutes of
programming time per episode, while the remaining 7.5 minutes is divided
among the other religions. The Evangelical Alliance receives two
7.5-minute segments per week, while other participating religions receive
approximately one 7.5-minute segment per month. The Catholic Church has a
program of its own called "70x7," while other religious faiths work
together to schedule programming on the "Caminhos" ("Paths") broadcast
every Sunday morning. Lisbon City Hall provided matching funds for
completion of the city's mosque, which was not completed at the end of the
period covered by this report. The municipality also provided matching
funds for the restoration of Lisbon's 19th century synagogue,
considered a building of historic significance. The municipality of Lisbon
also provides the opportunity for the religious communities to participate
in summer festival events. Restrictions on Religious Freedom
Government policy and practice contributed to
the generally free practice of religion. The Catholic Church receives some
preferential treatment; for example, chief chaplaincies for the military,
prisons, and hospitals remain state-funded positions for Roman Catholics
only.
The Papal Nuncio is always the dean of the
diplomatic corps. The Church of Scientology, although
recognized as a religious association since 1986, does not benefit from
the 2001 Religious Freedom Act, since it has not been established in the
country for 30 years or recognized internationally for 60 years, as
required under the law. Scientology leaders
are concerned that exclusion from the benefits accorded under the act may
have a negative effect on their ability to practice their faith; however,
they reported no discrimination or opposition during the period covered by
this report.
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.
Abuses by Terrorist Organizations
There were no reported abuses targeted at
specific religions by terrorist organizations during the period covered by
this report.
Section III. Societal
Attitudes
There are amicable relations among the various
religious communities. Participation among the various faiths in crafting
the programming schedule for "A Fe dos Homens" has facilitated greater
understanding and enhanced mutual respect. Many communities conduct "open
houses" or sponsor interfaith education seminars.
In October 2003, during the Interfaith Congress
held at the Catholic shrine of Fátima, representatives of the world's
leading religions explored the possibility of opening the shrine to a
variety of faiths. The first steps in developing Fátima as a multifaith
center were taken on May 5 when a Hindu religious service was held in the
Chapel of the Apparitions at the shrine. Although some disagreed with the
practice of non-Catholic rituals inside the sanctuary, reactions to
opening the shrine to other religions were highly positive.
The residents of the Azores and Madeira
archipelagos, although traditionally Catholic, are also quite tolerant of
other faiths. Both Mormon and Baptist missionaries are active on the
islands. They are well treated and participate in Azorean and Madeiran
social life.
A number of initiatives in 2003 focused on
Judaism. The Aristides de Sousa Mendes Foundation, a nongovernmental
organization established to honor the Portuguese Consul General in
Bordeaux, France, who defied his dictatorial government and issued visas
enabling approximately 30,000 Jews to escape through the country during
World War II, has sponsored a number of events,including a ceremony
presided over by the Archbishop of Lisbon on June 15 at the Lisbon
Cathedral in honor of de Sousa Mendes. A parallel ceremony was held at the
Lisbon Mosque.Manuela Franco, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and
Cooperation, addressed a seminar on the history of the Jewish community in
Thessaloniki in November 2003. The Jewish heritage was honored in February
at a ceremony in Covilha, marking the production and distribution of a new
kosher wine. The event was attended by government officials and received
significant media coverage.
Section IV. U.S. Government
Policy
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom
issues with the Government as part of its overall policy to promote human
rights. U.S. Embassy representatives have continuing contacts with leaders
of the country's religious communities, including the Catholic Church and
the Jewish and Muslim communities. Released on September 15, 2004 International Religious Freedom Report Home Page |