The Constitution of the United Mexican States, written in 1917, allows people to practice ceremonies, devotions, and observances of their faith in places of public worship or in their homes "provided they do not constitute an offense punishable by law." The Constitution demands strict separation of church and state. The Congress is forbidden from passing any law establishing or prohibiting any religion. No minister of any religion may hold public office.
More than eighty percent of Mexicans are at least nominally Catholic. Many Mexicans, especially in rural areas practice a mixture of Catholicism and indigenous beliefs. As originally written, the constitution placed severe restrictions on the Catholic Church. Article 24 stated that "every act of public worship must be performed strictly inside places of public worship, which shall at all times be under government supervision." It also stated that all public education would be "maintained entirely apart from any religious doctrine." Religious organizations were forbidden from providing elementary, secondary, and normal education, and education for laborers or field workers. The establishment of monastic orders was strictly forbidden. Churches were not allowed to acquire, hold or administer real property or mortgages. Places of public worship were the property of the nation. The law did not recognize any personality in groups called churches.
In 1992, however, the country of Mexico established diplomatic relations with the Vatican and many of the restrictions placed upon the church were ended. In the process the government also extended legal status and limited property rights to all religious groups. The 1992 Law on Religious Associations and Public Worship lays out administrative remedies to protect religious freedom. Religious groups are required to register with the Secretariat of Religious Affairs of the Federal Secretariat of Government (SSAR) in order to operate legally. They may now hold religious meetings outside of official places of worship but must notify the government in advance of their intention to do so. Buildings constructed after 1992 now belong to the religious organizations that built them. Church buildings constructed prior to 1992 continue to be a part of the "national patrimony" and the property of the government.
Religious authorities are still prohibited from criticizing the laws or authorities of the country, forming political parties, or interfering in elections. Religious organizations are also prohibited from owning or operating broadcast television or radio stations although the Catholic church does own and operate a national cable network.
In August 2001, a provision was added to the Constitution that establishes for the first time a constitutional prohibition against any form of discrimination, including discrimination against persons on the basis of religion.
It is estimated that there are between 5000 and 7000 different churches in Mexico. Many of these are protestant or evangelical churches. In some of the southern states, particularly Chiapas, the local population whose culture includes a mixture of Catholic and indigenous beliefs have resisted the growth of protestant and evangelical churches and there have been cases of violent confrontation and expulsions over the past few decades although exact statistics and not available. In some cases local authorities have cooperated with in the discrimination against or expulsion of evangelicals.
The SSAR has been investigating such cases and seeks to promote tolerance and harmony amongst the varying religious communities.
2003 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report on Mexico
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