The Religious Composition Of Monaco

Monaco is an autonomous city-state located in Western Europe with an area of 0.78 square miles. A census carried out in 2016 recorded the population at around 38,400. Nearly 30% of Monaco’s population are millionaires because of the friendly tax laws. A significant size of the population of Monaco is Christians and despite Monaco having an official national religion, the constitution allows freedom of religion. The stated figures are based on a survey by the Joshua Project on the ethnic Peoples group of Monaco in 2012.

The Religious Composition Of Monaco

Christianity

Christianity is a religion rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus; it is the religion with the largest number of followers in the world. Many of the countries in the world have Christians making up a majority of the population. Christians can be grouped into three major denominations: Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and Roman Catholics.

The official religion of Monaco is Roman Catholicism with 93% of Christians in the state identifying with the Catholic Church. The microstate has one cathedral and five parishes of the Catholic Church, and the archbishop of Monaco is based at the cathedral. The Cathedral is the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco. The Roman Catholic Church has the largest number of Christians worldwide, and it is one of the oldest denominations. The Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Church has its headquarters in the Vatican City. The Catholic Church was established in the 1st Century, and the Catholics believe that Jesus Christ founded the Church. The name Catholic is derived from the Greek word Katholikos, and it was used in the description of the Church as early as the 2nd Century.

40% of the global Christians are Protestants, which makes it the second largest Christian denomination globally. Protestants rank second in the number of Christians after Catholics in the state at 3.3%. The Protestant Churches are only two, the Reformed Church and the Anglican Church which is known as St. Paul’s Church and is found in Monte Carlo. 0.7% of the Christian population is Anglican, and Orthodox makes up 2.3%, independent 0.3%, and other Christians 0.1%. Tourists make up a majority of the Anglican population in the state while the local Anglican residents are 135. The Anglican Church has an English library which has stocked more than 3,000 books.

There is also one Greek Orthodox Church which is one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and their teachings and beliefs are based on those of the Byzantine Empire.

No Religion

12.9% of Monaco’s population are not members of any religion. The people not adhering to any religion may be atheists or agnostics. Agnostics believe that no one knows whether God exists, as there is no proof of a supernatural being. Agnosticism can be termed as a set of beliefs and not a religion. Agnostics base their beliefs on science; they believe that everything has to have a scientific explanation. Agnosticism falls under three classes, strong agnosticism, weak agnosticism, and apathetic agnosticism. Atheists do not believe in God or any supernatural beings. 20% of the people in the European Union claim to be atheists. Atheists can be described as either weak or strong atheist. The weak atheists do not subscribe to any religion as they are not aware of religion but the strong atheists are those aware of religion and religious practices but want to consciously deny the belief in God.

Judaism

Judaism is an ancient religion based on the culture and religion of the Jews. The religion ranks tenth amongst the religions of the world and 2.9% of the population in Monaco subscribe to Judaism. There is a house in Monaco that was changed to a meeting place for the Jews; it is named Associaton Culturelle Israelite de Monaco, and it is situated in Monte Carlo. The house has been in existence since 1948, and it houses a school, a food shop, and a synagogue all meant for the Jews. The Jewish community comprises people from North Africa and British retirees who make up 40% of the population. The Jewish population can be further divided into Sephardic and Ashkenazi. Sephardic Jews make up two-thirds of the population, and they hail from North Africa while the Ashkenazi makes up the rest. The Sephardic Jews are Spain descendants who relocated and settled in Algeria and Morocco and spoke Haketia. The Ashkenazi Jews descended from the Jews who occupied the areas along the Rhine River, and they spoke Yiddish.

Islam

Islam is a religion based on teachings from the Quran, and it is divided into three major denominations; Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, and Ahmadiyya. Sunni Islam is the largest followed by Shia Islam.The Muslim population in the state is made up of residents who add up to about 280 people or 0.8% of the population. Arabs make up the majority of the Muslims and Turks make up the rest. Monaco does not have any mosques; the closest one is located in Beausoleil, France which is a walking distance from Monaco.

Others/Unspecified

The people who do not identify with any of the mentioned religions or did not specify what religion they belong to make up 0.5% of the population in Monaco. There are several other religions which may include Buddhism, Bahai faith, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Buddhism is a religion centered on beliefs and practices based on the teachings of the Buddha. The Bahai Faith believes in equality and their teachings are centered on unity and equality among people. Hinduism is based on various Indian traditions and cultures. Sikhism is a religion that descended from Punjab in India and it is based on Guru Nanak's teachings.