COUNTRY
ArgentinaPOPULATION
42,192,494 (July 2012 est.)GDP PER CAPITA
$17,700 (2011 est.)RELIGIONS
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%AT THE CENTER
Matthew Scherer on 9/11, the Financial Crisis, and Climate Change as Conversion Events (Full Screen)
RELATED RESOURCES
ORGANIZATIONS (10)
PEOPLE (7)
QUOTES (7)
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on the Catholic Church's Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage
July 13, 2010
Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio on Same-Sex Marriage Bill in Argentina
July 8, 2010
Nestor Kirchner on Priests during the Dirty War at a Ceremony in La Plata
July 5, 2007
July 13, 2010
Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio on Same-Sex Marriage Bill in Argentina
July 8, 2010
Nestor Kirchner on Priests during the Dirty War at a Ceremony in La Plata
July 5, 2007
PUBLICATIONS (2)
Argentina
Interviews (8)
The society, culture, and politics of Argentina are deeply imbued with Roman Catholicism. The Church’s place in Argentine national identity, which spans across the ideological spectrum, stems from the perpetual ability of Argentines on different sides of political and social divides to find some level of support in the Church. The Church solidified its hold on the territory of modern-day Argentina during the period of Spanish colonial rule from the 16th to early 19th centuries. Church leaders variously supported and opposed the policies of Juan Perón (1946-55) and the violent tactics of the Dirty War (1976-83). Roman Catholicism remains the official religion of the state and Catholic representatives take part in many state functions. Freedom of religion is also guaranteed by the Constitution. Today, areas of Church-State contention include contraception, economic policies, and the disputed involvement of the Church in the Dirty War. Around 90% of Argentines self-identify as Catholic, though only 20% practice their faith on a regular basis.
Background: Thoraya Obaid and Katherine Marshall sat down to reflect on Dr. Obaid's engagement with faith actors during a UN staff workshop in Turin, Italy in November 2010. In addition to discussing the upcoming stages of her career, after she leaves UNFPA in December 2010, the conversation builds on earlier exchanges and explores both the positive and less enthralling aspects of Dr. Obaid's longstanding determination to actively take culture and religion into account in pursuing UNFPA's...
Background: This exchange between Ginny Bouvier and Susan Hayward on July 2, 2010 focuses on Bouvier’s experience growing up within the Catholic Church, her exposure to liberation theology, and her growing commitment to issues of human rights and gender in Latin America. She emphasizes ways in which women have used and defied gender expectations to seek justice and to form bonds of solidarity. Women in the Catholic Church in Latin America have distinctive experiences that arise from the...
Background: This exchange in June, 2010 between Mari Fitzduff and Susan Hayward focuses on her experiences living and working in Northern Ireland. She highlights the importance of space for ecumenical engagement across sectarian barriers in moving towards resolution of that long-standing conflict and the important roles of women in building coexistence. One specific contribution was women’s roles in the push for integrated schools in Northern Ireland, with nuns, especially, taking a leading...
Background: This conversation between Luis Arancibia and Lillie Marshall is part of a series of explorations by the Berkley Center and World Faith Development Dialogue (WFDD) looking at how leaders perceive the interconnections of development work and religion. WFDD has a long-standing relationship with Fe y Alegria and with the Centro Magis, which has worked as a Fe y Alegria partner. The European and Spanish perspectives on Fe y Alegria have, however, been little explored. In this...
Background: As part of the Foreign Policy Practitioners Interview Series, Dr. Thomas Farr interviewed Elliott Abrams, former member and Chairman of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and current Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations Washington Office. In this interview, Abrams speaks about how his professional and religious experience led to his involvement with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Additionally,...
Background: In this discussion, just prior to the Antigua Berkley Center/WFDD consultation on faith-inspired organizations in Latin America, Carol Lancaster reflected on her engagement with development issues as a practitioner working with USAID and as an academic. She describes her work on the roles of U.S. evangelical churches in development activities in Latin America, and particularly in Guatemala. Her aim is to understand better the appeal of evangelical churches to indigenous...
Click here for the Spanish translation.
Background: This discussion between Katherine Marshall, Brady Walkinshaw, and Elías Szczytnicki took place as part of preparatory work for a January 30th-31st, 2009 consultation in Antigua, Guatemala on the role played by faith-based organizations in development work. In the interview, Mr. Szczytnicki shares how he developed a keen interest and expertise in interfaith dynamics. He offers his opinion on how religious organizations and governments across...
Background: This discussion between Katherine Marshall, Brady Walkinshaw, and Elías Szczytnicki took place as part of preparatory work for a January 30th-31st, 2009 consultation in Antigua, Guatemala on the role played by faith-based organizations in development work. In the interview, Mr. Szczytnicki shares how he developed a keen interest and expertise in interfaith dynamics. He offers his opinion on how religious organizations and governments across...
Click here for the English translation.
Background: This discussion between Katherine Marshall, Brady Walkinshaw, and Elías Szczytnicki took place as part of preparatory work for a January 30th-31st, 2009 consultation in Antigua, Guatemala on the role played by faith-based organizations in development work. In the interview, Mr. Szczytnicki shares how he developed a keen interest and expertise in interfaith dynamics. He offers his opinion on how religious organizations and governments across...
Background: This discussion between Katherine Marshall, Brady Walkinshaw, and Elías Szczytnicki took place as part of preparatory work for a January 30th-31st, 2009 consultation in Antigua, Guatemala on the role played by faith-based organizations in development work. In the interview, Mr. Szczytnicki shares how he developed a keen interest and expertise in interfaith dynamics. He offers his opinion on how religious organizations and governments across...