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Brazil 2000
D.O.S. International Religious
Freedom Report
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Reliability Assessment
Brazil
International Religious Freedom Report
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
September 5, 2000
[1] The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the
Government respects this right in practice. a
[2] There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom
during the period covered by this report. a
[3] Both government policy and the generally amicable relationship
among religions in society contribute to the free practice of religion,
although a natural rivalry exists among various religious groups vying for
greater numbers of adherents. a
[4] The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the
Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting
human rights. a
Section I: Government Policies on Freedom of Religion
Legal/Policy Framework
[5] The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the
Government respects this right in practice.a This includes a general provision
for access to religious services and counsel in all civil and military
establishments. b
Political Asylum Research
and Documentation Service (PARDS)
Princeton, New Jersey
(rev. 02-16-09)
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pards.org
Page 2 of 6
Brazil 2000
D.O.S. International Religious
Freedom Report
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Reliability Assessment
[6] There are no registration requirements for religions or religious
groups.a There is no favored or state religion.b All faiths are free to establish
places of worship, train clergy, and proselytize, although the Government
controls entry into Indian lands. c
Religious Demography
[7] Nearly all major religions and religious organizations are present in
the country.a The Catholic Church's National Council of Brazilian Bishops
(CNBB) estimates that roughly 75 percent of the population of 160 million
identify themselves as Roman Catholic, although only a small percentage of
that number regularly attend Mass.b Roughly 20 percent of the population
identify themselves as Protestants, the majority of which are
Pentecostal/evangelical.c Evangelical churches have grown rapidly and have
challenged the religious stronghold of the Catholic Church.d An estimated
85 percent of the country's Protestants are affiliated with
Pentecostal/evangelical minority religious groups.e Minor denominations
include the Assembly of God and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of
God.f Lutherans and Baptists make up the bulk of the remaining Protestants
and are centered in the southern part of the country, where the majority of
German and northern European immigrants concentrated during the 19th and
early 20th centuries. g
[8] Followers of African and syncretistic religions such Candomble,
Xango, Macumba, and Umbanda constitute roughly 4 percent of the
population.a Candomble is the predominant traditional African religion
practiced among Afro-Brazilians.b It centers on the worship of African
deities brought to the country as a result of the slave trade.c Syncretistic
forms of African religions that developed in the country include Xango and
Macumba, which to varying degrees combine and identify indigenous
animist beliefs and Catholic saints with African deities.d The capital of
Bahia State, Salvador, where most African slaves arrived in the country, is
considered the center of Candomble and other traditional African religions.e
Political Asylum Research
and Documentation Service (PARDS)
Princeton, New Jersey
(rev. 02-16-09)
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pards.org
Page 3 of 6
Brazil 2000
D.O.S. International Religious
Freedom Report
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Reliability Assessment
As a result of internal migration during this century, Afro-Brazilian and
syncretistic religions have spread throughout the country.f Followers of
spiritism, mainly Kardecists--followers of the doctrine transcribed by
Frenchman Allan Kardec in the 19th century--constitute roughly 1 percent of
the population.g Many citizens worship in more than one church or
participate in the rituals of more than one religion. h
[9] Sunni and Shi'a Islam are practiced predominantly by immigrants
from Arab countries who have arrived in the country during the past 25
years.a Shintoism is maintained to a limited degree among the JapaneseBrazilian community. b
[10] Foreign missionary groups, including the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and several evangelical organizations, operate
freely throughout the country.a The Government restricts the access of
missionary groups to indigenous people and requires groups to seek
permission from the National Indian Foundation to enter official indigenous
areas. b
[11] There are no official government programs or councils to promote
interfaith dialog. a
[12] There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom
during the period covered by this report. a
[13] There were no reports of religious detainees or prisoners. a
Forced Religious Conversion of Minor U.S. Citizens
[14] There were no reports of the forced religious conversion of minor
U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United
States, or of the Government's refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to
the United States. a
Political Asylum Research
and Documentation Service (PARDS)
Princeton, New Jersey
(rev. 02-16-09)
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pards.org
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Brazil 2000
D.O.S. International Religious
Freedom Report
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Reliability Assessment
Section II: Societal Attitudes
[15] There are amicable relations among the various religious
communities in the country, although a natural rivalry exists among various
religious groups vying for greater numbers of adherents.a The influence of
evangelical churches in the country is growing.b There is no national
ecumenical movement. c
[16] In 1999 leaders in the Jewish community expressed concern about
the appearance of anti-Semitic propaganda on neo-Nazi Internet sites in
Brazil during the past 3 years.a Neo-Nazism appears to be a predominantly
regional problem directed at Afro-Brazilians who have immigrated into Sao
Paulo and the other southern states.b Jewish community activists report that,
although neo-Nazi groups have issued threats against at least one prominent
leader, they were not aware of any violent incidents directed at Jews. c
Section III: U.S. Government Policy
[17] The U.S. Embassy discusses religious freedom issues with the
Government in the overall context of the promotion of human rights. a
The views expressed in this report are those of the U.S. Department
of State, and its authors, not PARDS. A copy of this report is provided
as a courtesy to our clients: immigration attorneys, current applicants,
and those contemplating filing for political asylum in the United States.
Readers are encouraged to obtain a copy of the PARDS critique of the
Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,
International Religious Freedom Report, Profile of Asylum Claims and
Country Conditions Report, or Issue Paper series from our web page:
http://www.pards.org/profilecrtitique.doc. We welcome your questions,
comments and requests.
Political Asylum Research
and Documentation Service (PARDS)
Princeton, New Jersey
(rev. 02-16-09)
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pards.org
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Brazil 2000
D.O.S. International Religious
Freedom Report
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Reliability Assessment
NOTE: The text of this report was drawn from the Department of State’s
original version, font enlarged for ease of review and the paragraphs
numbered for ease of reference. Those Department of State reports for which
a comprehensive source and statement-by-statement PARDS Critique and
Reliability Assessment have been prepared contain an alphabetic superscript
at the end of each sentence. To order a report-specific PARDS Critique and
Reliability Assessment, email your request to [email protected] or
call us at 1(609) 497 – 7663.
Internal File: Brazil 2000 International Religious Freedom Report PARDS Report-Specific Source &
Reliability Assessment
Political Asylum Research
and Documentation Service (PARDS)
Princeton, New Jersey
(rev. 02-16-09)
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pards.org
Page 6 of 6
Brazil 2000
D.O.S. International Religious
Freedom Report
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Reliability Assessment
PARDS Report-Specific Source
and Report Reliability Assessment
To order a comprehensive source evaluation and overall reliability
assessment of the Brazil 2000 International Religious Freedom Report, or
benefit from the assistance of an internationally known and respected,
country-specific expert call PARDS - 1 (609) 497 - 7663.
Political Asylum Research
and Documentation Service (PARDS)
Princeton, New Jersey
(rev. 02-16-09)
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.pards.org