Christianity in Laos
Encyclopedia
Christianity
is a minority religion in Laos
. Christians in Laos number 150,000, divided approximately equally between Protestant and Catholics. There are three major Churches in Laos: the Lao Evangelical Church
, the Seventh-day Adventist Church
and the Roman Catholic Church
. Lao Christians have always been opposed to Communism
, despite Lao Communists not being anti-clerical.
Many Protestants are members of ethnic Mon
-Khmer groups, especially the Khmu in the north and the Brou
in the central provinces. Numbers of Protestants have also expanded rapidly in the Hmong
and Yao communities. In urban areas, Protestantism has many lowland Lao followers. Most Protestants are concentrated in Vientiane
Municipality, in the provinces of Vientiane, Sayaboury, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamsai, Savannakhet, Champassak, and Attapeu, as well as in the former Saisomboun Special Zone, but smaller congregations are located throughout the country.
The LFNC officially recognizes only two Protestant groups - the LEC and the Seventh-day Adventist Church - and requires all non-Catholic Christian groups to operate under one of these organizations. Seventh-day Adventists number slightly more than 1,000 country-wide, with congregations in Vientiane Municipality as well as Bokeo, Bolikhamsai, Champassak, Luang Prabang, and Xieng Khouang provinces.
Christian denominations that have some following in the country, but which are not recognized by the Government, include the Methodists, Church of Christ
, Assemblies of God
, Lutherans, and Baptists. Official membership numbers are not available. (Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons
), which are considered "Pseudo-Christian" denominations by most mainstream churches, also operate unofficially in Laos.)
All approved Christian religious groups own properties in Vientiane Municipality, although some of their properties are not officially recognized by the Government. In addition, the Protestant LEC maintains properties in the cities of Savannakhet and Pakse. Three informal churches, one for English
-speakers, one for Korean
-speakers, and one for Chinese
-speakers, serve Vientiane's foreign Protestant community.
In 2005, a Protestant church in Savannakhet Province was closed down by the government. Among the Hmong
of Laos
20% were Christians in 1998. With around 300 congregations, Protestantism has grown rapidly in the last decade. Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
in Laos are mainly Chinese
and Meos
. In 2006 it had four churches and approximately 900 members.
called for the government to allow freedom of speech
.
is officially recognized by the LFNC. There are approximately 45,000 Catholics, many of whom are ethnic Vietnamese, concentrated in major urban centers and surrounding areas along the Mekong River in the central and southern regions of the country. The Catholic Church has an established presence in five of the most populous central and southern provinces, and Catholics are able to worship openly. The Catholic Church's activities are more circumscribed in the north. There are four bishops, two located in Vientiane and others located in the cities of Thakhek and Pakse.
One of the two bishops resident in Vientiane oversees the Vientiane Diocese and is responsible for the central part of the country. The second bishop resident in Vientiane is the Bishop of Luang Prabang. He is assigned to the northern part of the country, but while the Government did not permit him to take up his post, it did permit him to travel to visit church congregations in the north. The church's property in Luang Prabang was seized after 1975, and there is no longer a parsonage in that city. An informal Catholic training center in Thakhek prepared a small number of priests to serve the Catholic community. Several foreign nuns temporarily serve in the Vientiane diocese.
There are no dioceses in the country, but it is divided into four Apostolic Vicariate
s: the Vicariate Apostolic of Luang Prabang
, the Vicariate Apostolic of Paksé
, the Vicariate Apostolic of Savannakhet
, and the Vicariate Apostolic of Vientiane
.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is a minority religion in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. Christians in Laos number 150,000, divided approximately equally between Protestant and Catholics. There are three major Churches in Laos: the Lao Evangelical Church
Lao Evangelical Church
The Lao Evangelical Church is the largest registered Christian church in Laos. It is believed that the church has around 120,000 members and 200 ordained Pastors. The LEC is headquartered in Nakham Village, in Vientiane Capital. There are three main churches in Vientiane capital, Nakham, Naxai...
, the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Lao Christians have always been opposed to Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, despite Lao Communists not being anti-clerical.
Protestantism
Approximately 400 Protestant congregations conduct services throughout the country for a community that has grown rapidly in the past decade. Church officials estimate Protestants to number as many as 100,000.Many Protestants are members of ethnic Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
-Khmer groups, especially the Khmu in the north and the Brou
Brou
Brou may refer to:* Brou, Eure-et-Loir, a village and commune in France* Brou-sur-Chantereine, a village and commune in Seine-et-Marne, France* Brou people, a Khmer Loeu ethnic group in Cambodia-Also see:...
in the central provinces. Numbers of Protestants have also expanded rapidly in the Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
and Yao communities. In urban areas, Protestantism has many lowland Lao followers. Most Protestants are concentrated in Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
Municipality, in the provinces of Vientiane, Sayaboury, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamsai, Savannakhet, Champassak, and Attapeu, as well as in the former Saisomboun Special Zone, but smaller congregations are located throughout the country.
The LFNC officially recognizes only two Protestant groups - the LEC and the Seventh-day Adventist Church - and requires all non-Catholic Christian groups to operate under one of these organizations. Seventh-day Adventists number slightly more than 1,000 country-wide, with congregations in Vientiane Municipality as well as Bokeo, Bolikhamsai, Champassak, Luang Prabang, and Xieng Khouang provinces.
Christian denominations that have some following in the country, but which are not recognized by the Government, include the Methodists, Church of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
, Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, Lutherans, and Baptists. Official membership numbers are not available. (Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
), which are considered "Pseudo-Christian" denominations by most mainstream churches, also operate unofficially in Laos.)
All approved Christian religious groups own properties in Vientiane Municipality, although some of their properties are not officially recognized by the Government. In addition, the Protestant LEC maintains properties in the cities of Savannakhet and Pakse. Three informal churches, one for English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-speakers, one for Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
-speakers, and one for Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
-speakers, serve Vientiane's foreign Protestant community.
In 2005, a Protestant church in Savannakhet Province was closed down by the government. Among the Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
20% were Christians in 1998. With around 300 congregations, Protestantism has grown rapidly in the last decade. Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
in Laos are mainly Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
and Meos
Meos
Meo or Meos may refer to:* Plural of "Meo", Muslim inhabitants of Mewat, a region in North-Western India.* MEOS , an alternate ethanol metabolic pathway.* Meo or Mèo is another name for Miao people....
. In 2006 it had four churches and approximately 900 members.
Religious freedom
According to the US government and other agencies there have been instances of the Laotian government attempting to make Christians renounce their faith, and have several times closed down Christian churches. They also say that there are two religious prisoners in Laos, both members of the Lao Evangelical Church, and that in 2005, a church in Savannakhet Province was closed down by the government. Lao officials have denied that they have closed any churches and say that Christians are imprisoned for other reasons. In 2010 Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
called for the government to allow freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
.
Catholicism
The Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
is officially recognized by the LFNC. There are approximately 45,000 Catholics, many of whom are ethnic Vietnamese, concentrated in major urban centers and surrounding areas along the Mekong River in the central and southern regions of the country. The Catholic Church has an established presence in five of the most populous central and southern provinces, and Catholics are able to worship openly. The Catholic Church's activities are more circumscribed in the north. There are four bishops, two located in Vientiane and others located in the cities of Thakhek and Pakse.
One of the two bishops resident in Vientiane oversees the Vientiane Diocese and is responsible for the central part of the country. The second bishop resident in Vientiane is the Bishop of Luang Prabang. He is assigned to the northern part of the country, but while the Government did not permit him to take up his post, it did permit him to travel to visit church congregations in the north. The church's property in Luang Prabang was seized after 1975, and there is no longer a parsonage in that city. An informal Catholic training center in Thakhek prepared a small number of priests to serve the Catholic community. Several foreign nuns temporarily serve in the Vientiane diocese.
There are no dioceses in the country, but it is divided into four Apostolic Vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
s: the Vicariate Apostolic of Luang Prabang
Vicariate Apostolic of Luang Prabang
Vicariate Apostolic of Luang Prabang is an apostolic vicariate of the Roman Catholic Church in northern Laos. It was established on March 1 1963, when it was split off from the Vicariate Apostolic of Vientiane...
, the Vicariate Apostolic of Paksé
Vicariate Apostolic of Paksé
Vicariate Apostolic of Paksé is a major unit of theRoman Catholic Church in Laos. The Vicar Apostolic since 2000 is Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun. It was established in 1967, when it was split off from the Vicariate Apostolic of Savannakhet. Covering an area of 45,000 km² of southern Laos,...
, the Vicariate Apostolic of Savannakhet
Vicariate Apostolic of Savannakhet
Vicariate Apostolic of Savannakhet is a subdivision of the Roman Catholic Church in Laos.Covering an area of 48,100 km² of central Laos, the Vicariate is the largest of the apostolic vicariates in Laos. 12,500 of 2.7 million citizen in the area are member of the Catholic Church.The vicariate...
, and the Vicariate Apostolic of Vientiane
Vicariate Apostolic of Vientiane
Vicariate Apostolic of Vientiane is a subdivision of theRoman Catholic Church in Laos.The vicariate covers the provinces of Houaphan, Xiangkhoang, Vientiane Province, Vientiane Prefecture and most of Bolikhamsai...
.
External links
- http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/data/countryLA.htm
- http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_180.html#443
- Amnesty International