Christianity in Panama
Encyclopedia
Panama
is a predominantly Christian country, a result of the Spanish
conquistadors and centuries of missionaries. Like the rest of Latin America
, the Catholicism
of the conquest began to shift as aspects of indigenous, African and other spiritualities were acculturated In recent decades, however, Protestantism
, especially those denominations strongest in North America, has been gaining ground.
's population that are Christian
, though the country has large religious minorities who adhere to Buddhism
, Islam
, Judaism
, and indigenous religions. Most numbers consider around four-fifths of Panama's population to be Catholic, and up to 12 % to be Protestant.
before Lent, and towns and regions have their own festivals at different parts of the year. The most famous of these is the festival of the Cristo Negro, the Black Jesus Christ, in the town of Portobelo in the Colon Province
on October 21. In Las Tablas
and Herrera
provinces, festivals are held for the Jesus Cristo de Azuero, named after the peninsula.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
is a predominantly Christian country, a result of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistadors and centuries of missionaries. Like the rest of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
of the conquest began to shift as aspects of indigenous, African and other spiritualities were acculturated In recent decades, however, Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, especially those denominations strongest in North America, has been gaining ground.
Numbers
Statistics are unclear as to the exact percentage of PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
's population that are Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, though the country has large religious minorities who adhere to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and indigenous religions. Most numbers consider around four-fifths of Panama's population to be Catholic, and up to 12 % to be Protestant.
Local Christian Symbols
Like the rest of the continent, Panamanians celebrate CarnavalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
before Lent, and towns and regions have their own festivals at different parts of the year. The most famous of these is the festival of the Cristo Negro, the Black Jesus Christ, in the town of Portobelo in the Colon Province
Colón Province
Colón is a province of Panama. The capital is the city of Colón.This province has traditionally been focused in commerce , but also has natural resources that are being developed as tourist attraction, such as coral reefs and rainforests...
on October 21. In Las Tablas
Las Tablas
Las Tablas is the capital of the Panamanian province of Los Santos. It is located a few kilometers inland from the Gulf of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula. Las Tablas is a recognized national center of Panamanian folk: Art, music, gastronomy, architecture, culture and literature...
and Herrera
Herrera
-Places:*Herrera de Pisuerga, a town in the province of Palencia, Spain*Herrera Province, Panama*Herrera, Spain, a municipality in the province of Sevilla*Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport*Herrera, Entre Ríos in Argentina*Herrera, Santiago del Estero in Argentina...
provinces, festivals are held for the Jesus Cristo de Azuero, named after the peninsula.