Main Areas

1. Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Center’s work includes the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America and the Caribbean, which consists of the permanent monitoring of the situation of religious freedom in the region. It collects current legal (laws, bills, decrees, judgments, etc.), news and institutional information on religious freedom and relations between the State and religious organizations throughout the region.

As a means of dissemination and connection with the environment, the Observatory has the Legal Bulletin, which is a monthly publication disseminating current legal information related to religious freedom and religious organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is distributed monthly via digital means, free of charge, to more than 2,100 subscribers, in Chile and abroad, corresponding to 40% of academics.

Other Objectives

Furthermore, it is important to create a critical mass in academia that contributes to generating specialized doctrine of a scientific nature, which serves as input for the work of judges and legislators. To this end, the Center has the Latin American Journal of Law and Religion, which aims to establish itself as a periodic platform for knowledge and intellectual exchange on the legal specialty of law and religion. It is a scientific publication, entirely digital in its publication and management system (receipt of articles, arbitration, communication with readers and authors, etc.), with free and open access, double-blind peer review, and published bi-annually.

2. Research

The research at the Center responds to the view of religious freedom from a dual dimension: the promotion of the fundamental right to religious freedom that corresponds to the State and a dimension of prevention that corresponds to religious entities.

The Center is interested in issues such as: spiritual assistance in special facilities, such as Armed Forces, hospitals and prisons; religion and education; teaching of religion in public schools; admission of students based on educational projects; conscientious objection; religion and labor law; religious cultural heritage; recognition of religious symbols; the autonomy and internal self-organization of churches and social organizations of religious orientation (schools, hospitals, etc.); legal status of religious communities; legal status of ministers of worship; recognition of acts of worship; financing of religious denominations; study and critical analysis of Ecclesiastical Law (legal norms issued by the State that refer to the religious phenomenon); agreements between the State and religious denominations; among others.

Furthermore, it is important to create a critical mass in academia that contributes to generating specialized doctrine of a scientific nature, which serves as input for the work of judges and legislators. To this end, the Center has the Latin American Journal of Law and Religion, which aims to establish itself as a periodic platform for knowledge and intellectual exchange on the legal specialty of law and religion. It is a scientific publication, entirely digital in its publication and management system (receipt of articles, arbitration, communication with readers and authors, etc.), with free and open access, double-blind peer review, and published bi-annually.