Bishops concerned about religious freedom in Ecuador

January 23, 2012

Bishops in Ecuador are expressing concerns about the implications of a draft law on religious freedom and religious equality. The law raises questions about whether priests and religious could continue to wear clerical garb and religious habits in public; an early draft would have banned religious processions.

“It is surprising that a secular state like Ecuador, which promotes the separation between Church and state, now intends to create a regulatory council,” said Auxiliary Bishop Guido Iván Minda Chale of Guayaquil. Another prelate--retired Archbishop José Mario Ruiz Navas of Portoviejo--added that the law “claims to impose a religion without God.”

The nation of 15.0 million is 91% Catholic, according to Vatican statistics. Since 2007, its president has been Rafael Correa, a socialist.

 

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Further information:

• Bill to establish the "Council of Religious Freedom and Equity": for the Church it interferes in internal decisions (Fides)