The Chilean People 55great strongholds of the Roman Catholic Church, and Chile
continues to be a predominantly Catholic country. At one
point, it was the official church of Chile, but since the late
19th century there has been official separation of church
and state. Freedom of religion exists in Chile and many
different religions are practiced. Yet, the Roman Catholic
Church does enjoy a somewhat privileged status and holds
sway on various social issues.
According to census statistics, 70 per cent of Chileans claim to be Roman
Catholic.