Catholic Church in Peru
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The Catholic Church in Peru is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope, the curia in Rome, and the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.
Catholics compose an estimated 76% of Peru's population,[1] according to the 2017 census.[2] In 2020, there were over 3,000 priests and over 9,000 nuns serving across 1,670 parishes;[3] the church also ran 136 hospitals and homes for the old and infirm.
The Holy See and the government of Peru concluded a pact regulating their relations and certain aspects of the Church's status in Peru on 26 July 1980.[4]
Peru has produced two famous saints, St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres, as well as two Blesseds, Ana de los Ángeles (Ana Monteagudo Ponce de León) and Antonia Luzmila Rivas López (María Agustina).[5]
In 2025, Pope Leo XIV, an American who migrated to Peru in 1985 and who also spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru, would become the first Pope with Peruvian citizenship.[6][7]
Demographics
Catholicism has been decreasing for many decades. According to the different census, in 1940, 98.5% of the Peruvian population adhered to Catholicism, decreasing to 94.6% in 1981 and to 81.3% in 2007.
| Year | Percent | Decrease |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 98.5% | - |
| 1961 | 97.3% | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 96.4% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 94.6% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 89.0% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 81.3% | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 76.0% | -5.3% |
Dioceses
The Peruvian Catholic Church is divided into dioceses and archdioceses:
Province of Arequipa
- Archdiocese of Arequipa
- Diocese of Puno
- Diocese of Tacna
- Prelature of Ayaviri
- Prelature of Chuquibamba
- Prelature of Juli
- Prelature of Santiago Apóstol de Huancané
Province of Ayacucho
- Archdiocese of Ayacucho
- Diocese of Huancavelica
- Prelature of Caraveli
Province of Cusco
- Archdiocese of Cusco
- Diocese of Abancay
- Prelature of Chiquibambilla
- Diocese of Sicuani
Province of Huancayo
- Archdiocese of Huancayo
- Diocese of Huánuco
- Diocese of Tarma
Province of Lima
- Archdiocese of Lima
- Diocese of Callao
- Diocese of Carabayllo
- Diocese of Chosica
- Diocese of Huacho
- Diocese of Ica
- Diocese of Lurín
- Prelature of Yauyos
Province of Piura
- Archdiocese of Piura
- Diocese of Chiclayo
- Diocese of Chachapoyas
- Diocese of Chulucanas
- Prelature de Chota
Province of Trujillo
- Archdiocese of Trujillo
- Diocese of Cajamarca
- Diocese of Chimbote
- Diocese of Huaraz
- Diocese of Huari
- Prelature of Moyobamba
- Prelature of Huamachuco
Apostolic Vicariates
- Apostolic Vicariate of San José de Amazonas
- Apostolic Vicariate of Iquitos
- Apostolic Vicariate of Jaén in Peru or Saint Francis Xavier
- Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado
- Apostolic Vicariate of Pucallpa
- Apostolic Vicariate of Requena
- Apostolic Vicariate of San Ramón
- Apostolic Vicariate of Yurimaguas
Military Ordinariate
- Military Ordinariate of Peru
See also
- Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM)
- Religion in Peru
Sources
- ^ Latinobarometro, Opinion Publica Latinoamericana, Enero 2018.
- ^ US State Dept 2022 report
- ^ Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
- ^ "Conventio Acuerdo entre la Santa Sede y la Republica del Perú". Secretariat of State, Holy See (in Spanish). July 26, 1980. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ G Catholic website, Saints page, retrieved 2023-08-28
- ^ McElwee, Joshua (May 8, 2025). "Prevost, first U.S. pope, supported Francis and shunned spotlight". Reuters. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ "Where is Pope Leo XIV from? What to know about the first American pope". CBS 8 San Diego. May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025.