{{short description|none}} {{Catholic Church by country}} [[Image:Pe-map.png|right|Map of Peru]] The '''Catholic Church in Peru''' is part of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]], under the spiritual leadership of the [[pope]], the [[Roman Curia|curia]] in [[Rome]], and the Peruvian [[Episcopal Conference]].
Catholics compose an estimated 76% of Peru's population,<ref>Latinobarometro, Opinion Publica Latinoamericana, Enero 2018.</ref> according to the 2017 census.<ref name=US2022>[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/peru US State Dept 2022 report]</ref> In 2020, there were over 3,000 priests and over 9,000 nuns serving across 1,670 parishes;<ref>[https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/peru Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08]</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web| access-date = May 17, 2025 | url =https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19800726_santa-sede-peru_sp.html |website= Secretariat of State, Holy See |language =es | date =July 26, 1980 | title = Conventio Acuerdo entre la Santa Sede y la Republica del Perú }}</ref>
Peru has produced two famous saints, [[St. Rose of Lima]] and [[St. Martin de Porres]], as well as two Blesseds, [[Ana of the Angels Monteagudo| Ana de los Ángeles]] (Ana Monteagudo Ponce de León) and [[Antonia Luzmila Rivas López]] (María Agustina).<ref>[http://www.gcatholic.org/saints/data/country-PE.htm G Catholic website, Saints page, retrieved 2023-08-28]</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/prevost-first-us-pope-supported-francis-shunned-spotlight-2025-05-08/|title=Prevost, first U.S. pope, supported Francis and shunned spotlight|first=Joshua|last=McElwee|publisher=Reuters|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 8, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/nation-world/where-is-pope-leo-xiv-from-chicago-native-peruvian-citizen/507-2cca8df2-e4d5-4aca-9084-3ec98769cc24|title=Where is Pope Leo XIV from? What to know about the first American pope|publisher=CBS 8 San Diego|date=May 8, 2025|accessdate=May 8, 2025}}</ref>
==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. {| class="wikitable" |- ! '''Year''' ! '''Percent''' ! '''Decrease''' |- | '''1940''' | '''98.5%''' | '''-''' |- | '''1961''' | '''97.3%''' |style="background: red" | '''-1.2%''' |- | '''1972''' | '''96.4%''' | style="background: red" | '''-0.9%''' |- | '''1981''' | '''94.6%''' | style="background: red" | '''-1.8%''' |- | '''1993''' | '''89.0%''' | style="background: red" | '''-5.6%''' |- | '''2007''' | '''81.3%''' | style="background: red" | '''-7.7%''' |- | '''2017''' | '''76.0%''' | style="background: red" | '''-5.3%''' |}
==Dioceses== The Peruvian Catholic Church is divided into [[diocese]]s and [[archdiocese]]s:
===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]] *[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sicuani|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== *[[:es:Extirpación de idolatrías]] (Eradication of idolatries) *[[Peruvian_Inquisition]] *[[Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network]] (REPAM) *[[Religion in Peru]]
== Sources == {{reflist}}
{{South America in topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}}
[[Category:Catholic Church in Peru| ]] [[Category:Catholic Church by country|Peru]] [[Category:Catholic Church in South America|Peru]]