In 2014, Catholics made up a minority of the population at 38%, second to the unaffiliated group, which came in at 41%.[2]
There are 9 dioceses and the archdiocese of Montevideo; the ordinaries gather in the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay. The current archbishop is Daniel Sturla, who was appointed on 11 February 2014.[3]
Evangelization of Uruguay followed Spanish settlement in 1624. Montevideo became a diocese in 1878, after being erected as a Vicarate in 1830. Missionaries followed the reduction pattern of gathering Indians into communities, training them in agriculture, husbandry, and other arts, while forming them in the Faith.[citation needed]
The constitution of 1830 made Catholicism the religion of the state and subsidized missions to Indians. In 1878, Montevideo was elevated to Diocese and, in 1897, to Archdiocese.[citation needed]
The constitution of 1917 enacted separation of Church and state.[5]
Uruguay is a country where religious calling is low. Every year, some young people engage in religious careers. In 2013, there were 34 students at the Archdiocesan Seminary in Montevideo.[8]
Saints
So far, there is one Uruguayan saint and one blessed, but several beatification process are open:[9]
Several religious orders are present in Uruguay.[10] Some of them arrived in colonial times (although their presence was intermittent during the first centuries):