RELIGION

Religion The Irish Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion to all citizens. The stated religion of most people in Ireland (Republic) is Roman Catholic. According to the 1991 census (the most recent time the question was asked) 91.6% of the population were Roman Catholics, 2.5% were Church of Ireland (Anglican), 0.4% Presbyterians, 0.1% Methodists and less than 0.1% Jewish. About 3% of the population belonged to other religious groupings or have no specific religious beliefs. No information on religion was supplied in respect of 2.4% of the population. The Roman Catholic Church ChurchThe Catholic Church has four ecclesiastical provinces, each with its own archbishop: Armagh, Dublin, Cashel and Tuam, covering the north, east, south and west of the country, respectively. Each province consists of a number of dioceses, of which there are 27 in all. The Archbishop of Armagh is the Primate of All Ireland and is normally a Cardinal. The present diocesan structure has remained basically the same since the 12th century and does not conform to modern political divisions. The combined Catholic population of the island of Ireland is about 3.9 million. There are 1,329 parishes served by about 4,000 priests. While there are no definitive figures about 60% of Catholics are regular church goers. There are approximately 20,000 men and women in various religious orders of priests, brothers and nuns. The Catholic Church is closely involved in the provision of education and health services. This involvement began as a service to the poor but expanded considerably over the years. The Church co-operates with State agencies in many areas such as education and welfare. The Irish Catholic Church sends missionaries to every continent. In 1998 there were over 3,277 Irish Missionaries working in 92 different countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Oceania.