Discover Paraguay : Religions

A Catholic country

More than 88% of the Paraguayan population calls itself Catholic, which is a record in Latin America! Paraguayans of all generations are fervent believers. Churches are often full and people flock to the great pilgrimages, especially on December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception, to pay homage to the Virgin of the Miracles of Caacupé. As for social debates, mentalities remain very closed to marriage between two people of the same sex, or to the decriminalization of abortion. Eight out of ten people are opposed to it.

A historical visit

One of the most significant events in recent years was the visit of Pope Francis (Papa Francisco) from 10 to 13 July 2015. A Jesuit, he was eagerly awaited in a country with a strong Catholic majority and a history marked by missions. Tens of thousands of people had gathered on the road to the airport to welcome the sovereign pontiff. He greeted them from the same Peugeot that had transported Pope John Paul II 27 years earlier. The next day, it was in front of the Basilica of Caacupé that more than a million faithful gathered for Mass in honor of the Virgin of Caacupé. Pope Francis has a special relationship with Paraguay. When he was archbishop in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio spent a lot of time in the villas (slums) with Paraguayan immigrants. After condemning the war of the Triple Alliance, the Pope paid a vibrant homage to the Paraguayan woman: "May God bless the Paraguayan woman, the most glorious woman in America! ...] You Paraguayan women and mothers who, with great courage and self-sacrifice, have been able to raise up a country destroyed, collapsed, submerged by war. You have the memory, the genetic heritage of those who rebuilt the life, the faith, the dignity of your people. "During his stay, Pope Francis also met with a representative of the LGBTI cause. "Diversity is necessary. The richness of life is diversity. The common good is lived by celebrating differences," he said. The now famous " Quien soy yo para juzgarlos " ("Who am I to judge them?") was even posted by the Somos Gay organization on billboards along the Caacupé road.

Other religions

Evangelical representations (Pentecostals, Mormons, Adventists...) are becoming more and more important and exceed 6% of the population. Among the evangelists are Mennonites with more or less traditionalist currents. Judaism, Islam and Buddhism are also present in the most cosmopolitan cities, such as Asunción, Encarnación and Ciudad del Este. The indigenous people have their own beliefs, often mixed with religious precepts brought by churches of all kinds that try to convert them. The indigenous communities of the Chaco in particular are in great demand and change confessions quite easily. Finally, there are many sects in Paraguay, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and the Unification Church, better known as the Moon sect. In the late 1990s, the Korean sect bought more than 590,000 hectares of land in the Chaco, in Puerto Casado on the banks of the Rio Paraguay, land rich in fresh water near the Brazilian border. The Moon sect is still the largest landowner in the country!

Myths and legends

Paraguayan culture is full of legends and mythological characters, most of them drawn from the Guaraní cosmogony. They can be found in discussions, in the evening by the fireplace, or through painting, sculpture or literature. Beliefs are transmitted orally, which is why they can vary significantly from one region to another. Among the beliefs most deeply rooted in popular culture is that of Plata Yvyvy

("buried money"). She believes that seeing sparks in a field, or seeing a white (headless!) dog appearing and disappearing in an instant in her garden, would be a sign of treasure! This legend has its origin in the riches of the Church which were buried by the Paraguayans during the war of the Triple Alliance, in order not to hand them over to the invaders. Fortunes are said to be hidden under the Paraguayan lands... The ñanduti, "spider's web" in Guarani, has given rise to countless legends. One of them is that of a young girl whose lover did not appear on her wedding day. She goes looking for him and finds him dead under a tree. She watches over the young man all night long. In the early morning, she discovers the body of her fiancé under a glistening dewy coat. He was covered with a delicate spider's web. She then decides to reproduce the spider's work, with thread and a needle, to make a lace shroud. More joyful is the legend of this young warrior, Ñandu ("Spider"), in love with the cacique's daughter, herself in love with Ñandu. The cacique decides to marry his daughter the next morning, promising her to the one who will bring the most beautiful present. All the suitors go hunting, but Ñandu cannot abandon her elderly mother, who has been feverish for days. Evening comes, and Ñandu already hears the drums announcing the first offerings: a parrot, a giant armadillo, a jaguar skin... Desperate, Ñandu climbs to the top of a tall tree and starts to cry. At nightfall, his mother wakes up and goes in search of her son, full of anxiety, knowing the boy's distress in love. From the foot of the tree, she sees the young man, covered with a large spider's web, shimmering in the moonlight. She returns home and decides to imitate the spider, weaving all night long, with her own white hair, a beautiful lace. The next morning, Ñandu finds her mother asleep under the lace. He understands that it is meant for him and brings it to the cacique. The latter, amazed by such a delicate work, decides to marry the lovers.