Religion in Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
There are many active religions in Luxembourg
. The most important, in terms of size of congregation and historical importance, is Roman Catholicism, but the state does not support, or discriminate against, any one single religion.
, Eastern Orthodox Christians
, Jews
, Muslims
and those of other or no religion
.
According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll
2005,
's Concordat of 1801
, the principles of which have continued to apply to Luxembourg, despite its separation from France
in 1815 and its subsequent Dutch
ownership.
Despite having the same roots as France's official position of laïcité
, Luxembourg's approach to religion has taken a different direction in the past 200 years, reducing the separation of church and state
, not increasing it. The state currently recognises Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek
and Russian
Orthodox Christianity
, and Protestantism as officially mandated religions. In 2003, representatives of Islam, Anglicanism
, and Romanian
and Serbian
Orthodox Christianity engaged in discussions to be conferred similar status, but without success.
, Roman Catholicism was sustained through the Reformation
by the hierarchy, buildings, and traditions established in the preceding centuries. The Catholic Church has received state support since 1801.
in Luxembourg, with estimates of adherents ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 (1% to 3.2% of the population). They are divided across several Protestant churches and creeds, including Lutheranism
, Calvinism
, Anglicanism
, Presbyterianism
, and Evangelicalism
. The largest Protestant churches in the Grand Duchy are the Protestant Church of Luxembourg
(PKL), Protestant Reformed Church of Luxembourg
(PRKL), Evangelical Church in Germany
, Church of England
, and Protestant Church in the Netherlands
. The state has supported the PKL since 1894 and the PRKL since 1982.
the minority religion that has been practised the longest in Luxembourg. Today, Luxembourg's Jews number approximately 1,200, of whom, 650 practise actively. There are very few Orthodox Jews
in Luxembourg. During the Holocaust, 1,945 Jewish Luxembourgers were killed, out of a pre-war population of 3,500. Judaism is supported by the state.
report, approximately 13,000 Muslims in Luxembourg.
There are six mosque
s in Luxembourg as well as one multi-use room for Muslims, none of which have minaret
s. Many Luxembourgian Muslims pray in mosques in France, Belgium or Germany. Most Muslims have origins in the Balkans
(approximately 60%), while Arab and other Muslim countries represent about 20%. Subsaharan Muslims account for about 5%, and 15% are Europeans.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. The most important, in terms of size of congregation and historical importance, is Roman Catholicism, but the state does not support, or discriminate against, any one single religion.
Demographics
Since 1979 it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices. It is estimated by the CIA Factbook that 87% of Luxembourgers are Roman Catholics, the remaining 13% being made up of ProtestantsProtestantism
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...
, Eastern Orthodox Christians
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, Jews
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and those of other or no religion
Irreligion
Irreligion is defined as an absence of religion or an indifference towards religion. Sometimes it may also be defined more narrowly as hostility towards religion. When characterized as hostility to religion, it includes antitheism, anticlericalism and antireligion. When characterized as...
.
According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll
Eurobarometer
Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion of certain issues relating to the European Union across the member states...
2005,
- 44% of Luxembourgish citizens responded that "they believe there is a God".
- 28% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".
- 22% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".
State intervention
Luxembourg is a secular state, but the Grand Duchy recognises and supports several denominations, in exchange for which, the state is allowed a hand in their affairs. This status, first afforded to the Roman Catholic Church, stems from NapoleonNapoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's Concordat of 1801
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
, the principles of which have continued to apply to Luxembourg, despite its separation from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1815 and its subsequent Dutch
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
ownership.
Despite having the same roots as France's official position of laïcité
Laïcité
French secularism, in French, laïcité is a concept denoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs as well as absence of government involvement in religious affairs. French secularism has a long history but the current regime is based on the 1905 French law on the Separation of...
, Luxembourg's approach to religion has taken a different direction in the past 200 years, reducing the separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
, not increasing it. The state currently recognises Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
and Russian
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
Orthodox Christianity
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, and Protestantism as officially mandated religions. In 2003, representatives of Islam, Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, and Romanian
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
and Serbian
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
Orthodox Christianity engaged in discussions to be conferred similar status, but without success.
Roman Catholicism
Roman Catholicism is the most practised religion in Luxembourg. Luxembourg was a major centre for Christianity during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Roman Catholicism was sustained through the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
by the hierarchy, buildings, and traditions established in the preceding centuries. The Catholic Church has received state support since 1801.
Protestantism
Protestantism is the largest minority religionMinority religion
A minority religion is a religion held by a minority of the population of a country, state, or region. Minority religions may be subject to stigma or discrimination. An example of a stigma is using the term cult with its extremely negative connotations for certain new religious movements...
in Luxembourg, with estimates of adherents ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 (1% to 3.2% of the population). They are divided across several Protestant churches and creeds, including Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
, Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
, and Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
. The largest Protestant churches in the Grand Duchy are the Protestant Church of Luxembourg
Protestant Church of Luxembourg
The Protestant Church of Luxembourg is a Protestant denomination that operates solely in Luxembourg. It is a united church, unifying facets of Calvinism and Lutheranism.The church was founded by order of Grand Duke Adolphe on 16 April 1894...
(PKL), Protestant Reformed Church of Luxembourg
Protestant Reformed Church of Luxembourg
The Protestant Reformed Church of Luxembourg is a Protestant reformed church that operates solely in Luxembourg.Established in 1982 by decree of Grand Duke Jean, it is one of the six state-supported...
(PRKL), Evangelical Church in Germany
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
, Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, and Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Protestant Church in the Netherlands
The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in the Netherlands. With 2,000 congregations and a membership of some 1.8 million , it is the second largest church in the Netherlands after the Roman Catholic Church.It was founded 1 May 2004 as a merger of...
. The state has supported the PKL since 1894 and the PRKL since 1982.
Judaism
Luxembourg's Jewish community dates back at least as far as the 13th century, making JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
the minority religion that has been practised the longest in Luxembourg. Today, Luxembourg's Jews number approximately 1,200, of whom, 650 practise actively. There are very few Orthodox Jews
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
in Luxembourg. During the Holocaust, 1,945 Jewish Luxembourgers were killed, out of a pre-war population of 3,500. Judaism is supported by the state.
Islam
In Luxembourg there is about 10,000 to 12,000 Muslims (est. 2009), who represent 2.2% of the total population. In addition, hundreds of Muslims come to work in Luxembourg every workday. According to a 2009 Pew Research CenterPew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
report, approximately 13,000 Muslims in Luxembourg.
There are six mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s in Luxembourg as well as one multi-use room for Muslims, none of which have minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s. Many Luxembourgian Muslims pray in mosques in France, Belgium or Germany. Most Muslims have origins in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
(approximately 60%), while Arab and other Muslim countries represent about 20%. Subsaharan Muslims account for about 5%, and 15% are Europeans.