The Catholic Church in Uruguay is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope.

Overview

In 2014, Catholics made up a minority of the population at 38%, second to the unaffiliated group, which came in at 41%. There are 9 dioceses and the archdiocese of Montevideo; the ordinaries gather in the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay. The current archbishop is Daniel Sturla, who was appointed on 11 February 2014. The patron saint of Uruguay is Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, venerated at the Cathedral Basilica of Florida.

History

Evangelization of Uruguay followed Spanish settlement in 1624. Montevideo became a diocese in 1878, after being erected as a Vicarate in 1830. Missionaries followed the reduction pattern of gathering Indians into communities, training them in agriculture, husbandry, and other arts, while forming them in the Faith. The constitution of 1830 made Catholicism the religion of the state and subsidized missions to Indians. In 1878, Montevideo was elevated to Diocese and, in 1897, to Archdiocese. The constitution of 1917 enacted separation of Church and state. Two Eastern Catholic churches are also present in Uruguay, the Armenian Catholic Church and the Maronite Church.

Careers

Uruguay is a country where religious calling is low. Every year, some young people engage in religious careers. In 2013, there were 34 students at the Archdiocesan Seminary in Montevideo.

Saints

So far, there is one Uruguayan saint and one blessed, but several beatification process are open:

Institutes of Consecrated life

Several religious orders are present in Uruguay. Some of them arrived in colonial times (although their presence was intermittent during the first centuries): After Uruguay was established as an independent country, several other religious orders established their own missions in Uruguay:

Notable Uruguayan Catholic religious leaders