In Jürg Widmer Probst Guatemala special feature he looks at religion in Guatemala and its links with the country’s history and culture.

1. Jürg Widmer Probst Guatemala special feature: the cultural significance of
religion in Guatemala
Guatemala has a long and fascinating history featuring many years of takeover and
colonisation, civil war and regional differences. And of course, along with this kind of
history comes a relatively complex religious picture. In this special feature, I’ll be
looking at the religious composition of the country, and how this affects its culture.
Jürg Widmer Probst Guatemala special feature: find out about religion in
Guatemala
Religion plays a significant part in everyday life for the people of Guatemala.
Christianity remains extremely important within Guatemalan culture and is the
primary religion. However, its composition has changed over recent decades, and
will continue to do so.
Statistics from 2017 show that 50% of Guatemalan people identify as Catholic, 37%
as Protestant, 11% as having no religious affiliation and 2% as ‘other’. During the
colonial time period, Roman Catholicism was the official religion in Guatemala.
Today, it is given a specific status in the constitution of the country.
Over recent decades, there has been an increase in Pentecostal (known as
‘Evangelicos’ throughout Latin America), Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox
religions. From the 37% of Guatemalans who identify as Protestant, most ae
independent Evangelicals or Pentecostals.
Religious freedom in Guatemala

2. While Catholicism is recognised as a ‘distinct legal personality’ in the Guatemalan
Constitution, freedom of religion is also established. The Constitution also says that
registration for any religious group is not needed, and that the rights of indigenous
Mayan people are protected.
Guatemalan culture is a rich mix thanks to the complicated history of the country.
And its religion follows the changes Guatemala has experienced over the centuries.
Catholicism in Guatemala
Catholicism landed in Guatemala with the Spanish colonists in 1519. From then until
1821, Catholicism remained the official religion. It became so again under the
Concordat of 1854, which ran until 1871.
In 2020, Catholicism is still the biggest religion in the country, and very influential. It’s
common to see Mayan practices incorporated into Catholic worship. This is when
Mayan people remain sympathetic and inclusive of Catholic belief within their own
indigenous religion, something that is known as ‘inculturation’.
Within the Guatemalan Catholics, there is also a significant number of Charismatic
Catholics. They are part of a global movement called the Catholic Charismatic
Renewal. This has a stronger emphasis on people having a more direct and
personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in a similar way to Pentecostalism and some
sects of Protestantism.
Protestantism in Guatemala
The current estimate of the Protestant population of Guatemala is just under 40%.
These are primarily Evangelical Protestants and Pentecostals. Protestant
missionaries began to arrive in Guatemala in 1843, but the first one was expelled in
1845 by the then Conservative President.
In 1882 there was a change of Government under a Liberal president and protestant
missionaries were allowed to come back to Guatemala. These were Northern
Presbyterian missionaries, and opened the very first Protestant church in Guatemala
City. This still exists today.
Protestants remained in Guatemala in small numbers until the 1970s. Various
Protestant groups were formed and grew quickly during the time of the Guatemalan
Civil War. Today, large parts of the Guatemala’s Mayan people are Protestants,
particularly those that live in the highlands.
Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Guatemala
At the end of the 19th
century, Orthodox Christianity made it to Guatemala with the
wave of immigrants from Greece, Lebanon and Russia. In the 1980s, the first
Orthodox monastery was established and in 1995 the Catholic Apostolic Orthodox
Church in Guatemala was formed.
In 2010, a Catholic movement originally led by ap priest called Andres de Hesus
Giron, was formally received into the Eastern Orthodox Church under the Greek

3. Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico. Most of the converts to both of these religions are
mostly made up of indigenous Mayan people.
Mayan beliefs in Guatemalan religion and culture
Mayan religion is today fused with Christianity, after existing in one form or another
for more than two millennia. As mentioned earlier, this fusion is known as
inculturation, and can be seen in Catholic churches like Santiago de Atitlan.
The original Mayan religion is formed around nature gods, and traditionally included
things like blood sacrifice. Its sacred text is called the Popul Vuh, which is a book of
Mayan mythology that is still used today. Guatemalan religion in 2020 is the result of
many influences melding together to form something uniquely Guatemalan.
Part Christian, part indigenous spirituality, it is as rich and diverse as Guatemala
itself. Learning about the country’s heritage and journey to today’s religious standing
will help to gain a better understanding of this unique and eclectic culture.