The Catholic religion
Since the end of the 19th century, religion has always played a predominant and essential role, even in the daily life of the population. The president of the time, Gabriel García Moreno, decreed that you had to be Catholic to obtain both Ecuadorian nationality and the right to vote. Fortunately, this law is no longer in force. This is not to say that religion is any less practiced for this reason. Just look at the beauty of the cathedrals and the incredible number of churches all over Ecuador. Today, over 80% of the Ecuadorian population considers itself Catholic, while a total of 90% of Ecuadorians claim to be followers of a religion. The influence of the church can be seen in education and important life events: including baptisms, weddings and funerals. Catholic churches can be found in almost every town square, and Catholic shrines are often seen on mountain tops. What's more, you'll notice that many of the country's festivities and festivals are unsurprisingly linked to religion. If by chance there's a religious festival scheduled during your stay in Ecuador, don't hesitate any longer and go for it! The devotion of the population is something incredible to observe. For these occasions, numerous processions attended by large numbers of people are usually organized.
Minority religions
Protestantism has a following, particularly in the most remote parts of the country, where missionaries work to improve the physical and spiritual lives of indigenous groups. Even so, indigenous religion is still strong in Ecuadorian society. Many indigenous tribes, such as those in the Sierra, mix Catholic rites with their own beliefs, creating an interesting fusion of faith. Mormonism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and the Baha'is have few followers in Ecuador.
The Evangelical Church. As in many American countries, the evangelical religion is booming in Ecuador. It is now estimated that 13% of the population identify themselves as evangelical, making it the country's de facto second-largest religion. The country's major evangelical centers are based in Guayaquil. The Evangelical Church is carefully nurturing its political presence in the country, and former President Lasso, who will be elected in 2021, even invited an Evangelical pastor to his inauguration as head of state.
Ancestral beliefs and religion
In order to convert the natives, the priests and missionaries of the colonial era had no choice but to accept a mixture between their religion and local beliefs. Blessing the earth or animals was one of the tasks they frequently performed. Even today, the faithful continue to pray to a solar Christ and a lunar Virgin. In fact, some consider the latter to be none other than Pachamama, mother of all volcanoes. The Church accepted this mixture of beliefs to keep the devotion of the population intact. It's not uncommon, for example, to see openings in church walls. These allowed the sun's rays to enter, so that a statue of the Virgin could be bathed in light during the solstices. This still has an effect on the Indian population. And outside the cities, traditions become even more important. For example, the healer known as Yachac, or Shaman, has a far fuller appointment book than the traditional doctor. And no one would dare build a house without first burying a llama foetus in the foundations and erecting a Christian cross.
Shamans. Healing warriors for various Latin American peoples, they are today much sought-after by foreign visitors wishing to experience " limpieza ", a kind of spiritual cleansing often involving the use of herbal beverages, including the famous Amazonian ayahuasca . For the locals, they are mainly healers, consulted in the same way as a doctor. Watch out for charlatans who are shamans only for tourists!
The Andean Cosmovision
For 5,000 years, indigenous peoples have concentrated their beliefs and religions in a concept known as Cosmovision. They called it "Illa Teqsi", meaning "Foundation of Light", "Primordial Light" and "Eternal Light", because their ancestors believed that everything came from "Illa", the energy from which the universe was formed. In Andean culture, everything is imbued with "Illa", regarded as positive energy (Sami). Today, the original light is often represented by the sun "Inti", which is the object of absolute veneration and numerous religious events, such as "Inti Raymi", the festival of the Sun which takes place every year at the time of the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, on June 21 or 22. In Ecuador, Inti Raymi is celebrated throughout the country. Each province celebrates the festival in a different way, according to the traditions of the indigenous peoples who live there (although each festival revolves around the sun). As well as being a harvest festival, the Inti Raymi celebration allows its participants to rediscover their indigenous identity, which has been lost for centuries. This festival offers Ecuador's indigenous people a moment of unity and pride in their culture and heritage.
Sumak Kawsay (good living). The concept of buen vivir, inherited from Andean cosmovision, was incorporated into the constitution by Rafaël Correa with the aim of using ancestral beliefs to support sustainable development, an overriding theme for all politicians today. This concept, which implies that personal well-being can only be achieved through collective well-being, has the advantage of being well known to the peoples of Ecuador, and fits perfectly into the scheme of a more global sustainable development for communities and consequently for the country.
