Religion
Denominations | Population | % of total |
---|---|---|
Catholicism | 5,558,901 | 54.5 |
Roman Catholics | 5,289,521 | 51.9 |
Greek Catholics | 268,935 | 2.6 |
Protestantism | 1,985,576 | 19.5 |
Calvinists | 1,622,796 | 15.9 |
Lutherans | 304,705 | 3.0 |
Baptists | 17,705 | 0.2 |
Unitarians | 6,541 | 0.1 |
Other Protestants | 33,829 | 0.3 |
Orthodox Christianity | 15,298 | 0.1 |
Other Christians | 24,340 | 0.2 |
Judaism | 12,871 | 0.1 |
Other religions | 13,567 | 0.1 |
Total religions | 7,610,553 | 74.6 |
No religion | 1,483,369 | 14.5 |
Did not wish to answer | 1,034,767 | 10.1 |
Unknown | 69,566 | 0.7 |
total | 10,198,315 | 100.00 |
The majority of Hungarians became Christian in the 11th century. Hungary remained predominantly Catholic until the 16th century, when the Reformation took place and, as a result, first Lutheranism, then soon afterwards Calvinism, became the religion of almost the entire population. In the second half of the 16th century, however, Jesuits led a successful campaign of counterreformation among the Hungarians. Orthodox Christianity in Hungary has been the religion mainly of some national minorities in the country, notably, Romanians, Rusyns, Ukrainians, and Serbs.
Faith Church, one of Europe's largest Pentecostal churches, is also located in Hungary. Hungary has historically been home to a significant Jewish community.
According to 2001 census data, the largest religion in Hungary is Catholicism (54.5% — Roman Catholicism 51.9%; Greek Catholicism 2.6%). There is a significant Calvinist minority (16% of the population) and smaller Lutheran (3%),Baptist (0.2%), orthodox(0.015%) and Jewish (0.1%) minorities. However, these census figures are representative of religious affiliation rather than practice; fewer than 12% of Hungarians attend religious services at least once a week and fewer than 50% at least once a year, while 30% of Hungarians do not believe in God.
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Hungary
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“I read ... an article by a highly educated man wherein he told with what conscientious pains he had brought up all his children to be skeptical of everything, never to believe anything in life or religion or their own feelings without submitting it to many rational doubts, to have a persistent, thoroughly skeptical, doubting attitude toward everything.... I think he might as well have taken them out in the backyard and killed them with an ax.”
—Brenda Ueland (18911985)
“Their religion was sweetness and peace amidst toil and tears.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)
“Theres no reason to bring religion into it. I think we ought to have as great a regard for religion as we can, so as to keep it out of as many things as possible.”
—Sean OCasey (18841964)