Article 75 of the Constitution of Costa Rica
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The article 75 of the Constitution of Costa Rica establishes Catholicism as the country's state religion.[note 1] Current debate about the issue and the passing toward a full secular state are in the public and political debate. This article is also the only one in the Title VI, only chapter of the Constitution dealing with religion.[3]
La Religión Católica, Apostólica, Romana, es la del Estado, el cual contribuye a su mantenimiento, sin impedir el libre ejercicio en la República de otros cultos que no se opongan a la moral universal ni a las buenas costumbres.
English translation according to the site CostaRicanLaw.com:[3]
The Roman Catholic and Apostolic Religion is the religion of the State, which contributes to its maintenance, without preventing the free exercise in the Republic of other forms of worship that are not opposed to universal morality or good customs.
Controversy
Like other issues as same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization, in vitro fertilization and abortion, church-state separation is an issue that often splits conservative and progressive voters in Costa Rica.[4]
Costa Rica like many Latin American countries has three main religious communities; Catholics (52%), Evangelical Christians (22%) and non-religious including agnostics and atheists (17%).[5] Whilst Catholics are split on the issue, most non-religious citizens support the secular state whilst more Evangelical Christians oppose it (despite the fact that Evangelism is not the official religion and would not be affected by the measure), mostly because they see it as a gradual transition toward state atheism.[4]
The National Liberation Party,[6] Citizens' Action Party[7] and Broad Front[8] support church-state separation whilst the Social Christian Republican Party,[9] Costa Rican Renewal Party,[10] National Restoration Party[11] and New Republic Party[11] oppose it.
There is a constitutional reform bill under discussion in the Legislative Assembly in parliamentary committees,[12][13] however as the Evangelical caucuses oppose it its advance have been null.[14]
