Venezuela no longer prays under a single dogma. Today's country is defined by a complex spiritual landscape where non-Catholic Christian churches are gaining ground at a dizzying pace, Catholicism is resisting, and ancestral or Afro-Cuban cults are filling the voids of daily uncertainty.
The real phenomenon is not that Venezuelans are ceasing to believe in God; surveys by institutions such as the Gumilla Center reflect that 97% of the population remains believers. Rather, the Catholic Church has lost its monopoly on faith, paving the way for the growth of other religions amid the indifference of younger generations.
Jesús González de Zárate, Archbishop of Valencia and President of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV), clarifies that “there is no way to accurately determine the number of Catholics or any religious group in Venezuela.”
However, the archbishop acknowledges that while it was traditionally said that nearly 80% of the population identified as Catholic, current studies place that figure at 63%. The difference in these numbers can be explained by a process of "secularization and de-Christianization that also affects us," the prelate points out.
“Parents prefer that their children choose their own religion, so in our country, among the younger population (25 to 35 years old), they claim not to profess any religion,” analyzes the president of the Episcopal Conference. Últimas Noticias.
A study by the consulting firm DatosUNThe survey, which the reader can review extensively as part of this report, confirms the proportion of Catholics reported by institutions. According to the survey, 63,5% of participants identified as Catholic. Non-Catholic Christianity—which includes evangelical, Pentecostal, and other Protestant denominations—follows with 28,8%. Atheism and agnosticism come in third place with 4,7%. All other options fall below 3%. The third most practiced religion in Venezuela is Santería with 2,7%, ranking above Judaism (1,2%), indigenous religions (1,2%), Buddhism (1,1%), Islam (0,7%), and Palo Mayombe (0,7%).
Catholic, Apostolic and Roman
The Catholic Church in Venezuela is manifested through 43 local churches (nine archdioceses, 27 dioceses, three apostolic vicariates (churches with a greater presence of indigenous peoples), two Catholic churches of Eastern rites (such as the Church of Saint Charbel, located in Caracas), and the Military Ordinariate that provides spiritual assistance to the members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.
The Monsignor indicated that, although the number of parishes has increased by nearly 30% in the last 30 years, it is still insufficient to serve the urban peripheries of large cities, making it difficult for many faithful to access religious services. This pastoral challenge has been addressed through innovative options, such as Christian communities of lay people—that is, people who are neither priests nor nuns.
For his part, Jesuit priest Numa Molina agrees that there is a “decline of the Catholic religion in Venezuela.”
In light of these studies, Molina cites that in 1991 the number of Catholics in Venezuela was 86%, while in 1994 it dropped to 82%, and in 2024 it registered 63%. "As we can see, there is a decrease, not alarming, but considerable," he commented. Últimas Noticias.
And as for the causes of this decline in the Catholic religion, the priest points to the church's distancing itself from the most vulnerable sectors, where the non-Catholic Christian community has been growing, whose members have undertaken a campaign to reach out to the poorest parts of the country.
Molina clarifies that the Venezuelan Catholic Church also reaches out to these impoverished sectors, but suggests that it needs to shed certain "structures and training" present within the Catholic Church. The social communicator also says that the Catholic Church tends to resolve everything by attending Sunday Mass, without undertaking work that engages with society at large and wins it over to the Christian faith.
“Catholics are not proselytizers; they are not interested in gaining more members for the Catholic Church, because since we have always been the majority, they rest on their laurels,” the priest said.
Despite the percentage decrease, sacramental life remains dynamic: the Pontifical Yearbook 2025 It records more than 151.000 baptisms and 1.765 church marriages in a single year.
Although it does not actively seek out believers, the Church has the support of the Venezuelan Association of Catholic Education (Avec), whose main mission is to carry out evangelization work through education.
“We believe in a holistic education, and a holistic education means attending to the spirituality of the person. We don't emphasize that you have to receive a Catholic education, but we do want to make it clear that we are a Catholic institution; we are the educational arm of the Church,” declares its president, Ángel Tovar, to Últimas Noticias.
It notes that they currently have an enrollment of 339.411 children and young people nationwide. These students are served by 1.003 affiliated educational centers, of which 842 are schools operating under the long-standing agreement with the Ministry of Education, and the remaining 161 are self-sustaining.
“Our schools accept children of all religions; they are not obligated, but all our schools have religious education, that is, in all institutions the spiritual aspect is addressed in some way,” he emphasized.
He commented that all schools that have an agreement with the Ministry of Education have to serve vulnerable populations, which are in popular sectors, in rural areas, indigenous areas, mining areas, border areas.
For example, he cited that Avec has educational centers that serve indigenous populations in Machiques, Zulia state, as well as in Apure, Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro.
In addition, it has 9 special education centers, aimed at children with disabilities, 41 children's homes and 29 radio institutes, which are radio stations that maintain educational programs.
He explained that AVEC is a service arm of the Confederation of Religious Men and Women of Venezuela, which is where all the congregations approved by the Vatican that live in our country are located.
“The emphasis is on seeking quality educational management, that our schools be spaces for evangelizing practice; having sustainable administrative management, where we respect nature, people and the use of materials, and then having effective and efficient leadership,” he specified.
He added that among the challenges for the future is addressing the shortage of educators in the country, as well as the necessary curricular reform to adapt educational management to the new times, "continuing to provide quality service in the midst of the crisis."
The immediate refuge of Christians
Evangelicals, as non-Catholic Christians are generically and inaccurately called, represent 22% of the beliefs professed by Venezuelans, according to research conducted by the Gumilla Foundation. Behind the rise of non-Catholic faith in the country lies a complex mosaic of theological currents.
The country has a presence of Baptist and free churches that arrived at the end of the 19th century. Their style is intellectual, centered on the study of the Bible, with democratic structures and traditional worship practices.
In the mid-20th century, classical Pentecostalism emerged. Organizations like the Assemblies of God spread the faith to the working class through the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit, divine healing, and emotionally intense worship services.
At the Las Acacias Pentecostal Evangelical Church (these are true evangelicals), everyone goes to "recharge their batteries with the fire of the Holy Spirit," as a regular visitor to the church located in El Cementerio, Caracas, put it. This particular church was founded 70 years ago, with its first meetings held in Propatria, under the guidance of its pastors Nancy and Samuel Olson.
“Surrender to the Lord,” Olson says to open his brief sermon at the Sunday service held at the Las Acacias theater, which has a capacity of approximately 300 people.
The Las Acacias church is the most important Pentecostal church in Venezuela. Specifically, that location gathers 6 people for its various weekly activities. Nationwide, the movement has approximately 10 followers, according to estimates from some of its pastors.
We asked the ministers how they gained believers in their churches. The answers didn't reveal a common "recipe," but rather a multitude of strategies ranging from classic evangelical campaigns to Bread and Life events.
In evangelical campaigns, stages are often set up outdoors with musical groups playing upbeat, revival songs to attract those seeking God. After a medley of Pentecostal hymns comes the prayer and praise segment, which isn't guided by written formulas but springs from the improvisation of the faithful who close their eyes and raise their arms to heaven, imploring and glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ, surrendering their souls, and proclaiming Him as the one true God, among other expressions of faith.
A similar setup is seen at the Sunday service in Las Acacias, Caracas, where a band with drums, trumpets, bass, and electric guitar rehearses while waiting for the service to begin. The central screen displays a quote from the Book of Acts in the New Testament, chapter 2, verses 46-47: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts…and the Lord added to their number all those who were being saved.”
The central message of Pentecostal preaching is precisely the theme of salvation—salvation from eternal damnation. And to achieve this, you must profess repentance and accept Jesus as your savior, a message frequently repeated by pastors.
The anticipation builds when the time appears on the screen, announcing that "our service begins at…". A half hour of Pentecostal hymns then passes before Pastor Samuel Olson appears on stage, dressed in a suit and tie. He doesn't speak much. With short phrases, he leads the prayer of healing. "Are you sick? The Lord is here." After saying this, he begins a prayer focused exclusively on the health of those present. The congregation is immersed in this prayer until the pastor begins a series of short sermons based on biblical readings. At the end of each sermon, they ask who among those present wishes to "receive Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives." Those who raise their hands are invited to a room located to one side of the main stage. There, they are baptized by immersion in a pool, to recall the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
The pastors consulted say that, with these invitations to repentance, the church maintains a growth rate in its more than 1.600 churches across the country.
But in addition to that invitation to repentance, the Las Acacias Pentecostal Church has other ways of reaching out to attract followers, marked by its focus on social issues with the Bread and Life Days, which include legal advice, medical consultations, children's entertainment, and hairdressing, among other things.
However, the real boom occurred in the last three decades with the arrival of neo-Pentecostalism, or the charismatic movement, which comprises dozens of independent churches. Networks such as the Christian Center for the Nations (CCN) and the Maranatha Church of Venezuela, led by former congressman Javier Bertucci, transformed the landscape.
At the CCN, whose main temple is located in the Los Chaguaramos Shopping Center in Caracas, each of the various weekend services can draw between 700 and 1.000 people. Street outreach is part of their strategy to attract followers. There are over 500 churches throughout the country, where approximately 6 people congregate, according to apostles consulted.
The acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior is the central message of this evangelical church. This act of faith can be practiced during worship services or special days of prayer, held either indoors or outdoors.
Guido Raúl Ávila and Elba de Ávila appear as the main apostles of the CCN. In addition, there is a multitude of pastors who preach the word and administer the sacraments, whose activities are frequently publicized on their social media.
For the purposes of its evangelical mission, the CCN divided Venezuela into six regions: west (Ciudad Ojeda), west-central (Barquisimeto), central (Maracay), capital (Caracas), Miranda (Guatire) and southeast (Maturín), according to press releases.
The assemblies in Caracas, specifically at the temple in the Los Chaguaramos Shopping Center, can draw between 700 and 1.000 people. Street outreach is part of their strategy to attract followers. There are over 500 churches throughout the country, where approximately 6 people gather, according to the apostles consulted.
The head of the Capital District Government, Nahum Fernández, who preaches the non-Catholic Christian faith, assures that this “has increased by millions in Venezuela and the Catholic Church remains, that gives us a number between 80 and 90 percent of the total Venezuelan population that is Christian, that believes in Jesus Christ.”
In his opinion, this exponential growth of the non-Catholic Christian church is due to "not having an intermediary between God and the person (...) handing Jesus Christ over to the people without ties, not with rules, so that people can expose themselves to Jesus and make him part of their daily life."
Fernández agrees that there is a younger generation, 25 years and under, influenced by the internet and globalization, who do not approach religions, "but after 25 years old people begin to get serious and look for answers and turn to faith."
Finally, within the non-Catholic wing, we find the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In Venezuela, it has over a century of history, strongly intertwined with immigration from Northern and Central Europe.
Within the non-Catholic wing, we also find the Evangelical Lutheran Church, whose architectural symbol is the "Resurrection" church, located in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas. It is characterized by a theology focused on the fundamental tenets of Martin Luther and a strong social commitment.
History fractured on October 31, 1517, when a German Catholic monk named Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. Luther didn't want to found a new religion; he wanted to reform the Catholic Church. The Vatican's response was excommunication. From this great division arose the first European reformed churches: the Lutherans, the Presbyterians (Calvinists), and the Anglicans.
Theologically, Anglicans represent a unique bridge: they maintain the same aesthetics and liturgical order as a traditional Catholic Mass. With a canonical diocese established in the country since 1967, the church maintains a low-profile but consistent presence, frequently channeling humanitarian and health response plans to vulnerable communities.
For its part, the formal Presbyterian witness began with the founding of the emblematic American College of Caracas in 1896, an educational effort by American missionaries that sought to offer high-quality education under Christian principles, but without the control of the Catholic Church.
In 1897 the Presbyterian church El Redentor was consolidated, whose historic temple, located diagonally across from Plaza La Concordia in Caracas, holds the title of being the oldest evangelical-protestant congregation in the capital.
Reforms and more Christians
There are also other “later restoration” groups that originated in the 19th century in the United States, such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the so-called Mormons), or Jehovah’s Witnesses, which have completely different dogmas and scriptures.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in the country since 1955, although it was officially registered as a religious association in 1966, from which time they maintain a missionary work based on the Book of Mormon and the Bible (old and new testament).
“Our expectation is to help, to serve, to improve people’s quality of life by teaching them Christian values, principles, and commandments,” explained Elder Juan Zorrilla, the leader of the group, known as the “Area Seventy,” who also serves as the organization’s national manager in Venezuela, where they have 235 units throughout the country, which are meeting places or chapels. “What we do is preach the gospel; we provide that service, in addition to others, to the community,” he told Últimas Noticias.
They currently have 179.389 members nationwide, distributed across four coordinating councils: Maracaibo, Valencia, Caracas, and Barcelona.
Zorrilla believes this religious organization has grown in the country based on the population's thirst for values. "People's interest stems precisely from that void we often feel. I'm a convert, someone who wasn't born into the church; I married very young, but I had the desire to be a better person. That's our goal: to help families stay together forever," he said.
It was recently announced that a second temple will be built in Maracaibo to serve the western region. They also have 235 other units throughout the country, which are meeting centers or chapels. “What we do is preach the gospel; we provide that service, in addition to others, to the community.”
He explained that they spread their word primarily through a missionary program, “You may have seen them on the streets; they are young people between 18 and 25 years old. The men serve missions for two years and the women for 18 months. During that time, they are 100 percent dedicated to preaching the gospel.”
He recalled that initially, young Americans participated in these missionary efforts, and then young Venezuelans were added, "now we are 90% Venezuelans and only 10% foreigners."
He commented that this religious organization has provided social service in the country since 2023 and has contributed $2,5 million in aid to the community, distributed as follows: $1,9 million in emergencies related to dengue and malaria, implemented through organizations such as International Medical Corp and Project Hope.
“We’ve also provided an average of $500 in assistance through programs that benefit vulnerable communities. We also have a self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship initiative, which we’ve been running for about 10 years, to help people start their own businesses. Another thing we do is teach English, initially to our members, and then we invite the wider community,” he said.
The ancestral Yoruba and Maria Lionza
Just as thousands are walking towards evangelical temples, another growing tide of believers is seeking in the Yoruba religion, colloquially called Santería, the answers and protection that traditional institutions can no longer offer.
Alexander Torrealba, coordinator of social welfare for the Union of Ancestral Religions and president of the Afro-descendant Religious House La Prodigiosa, assures Últimas Noticias He says the cult “has grown so much that we are now classifying it as the third most practiced religion here in Venezuela,” which he attributes to the fact that the 1999 National Constitution guaranteed freedom of worship.
“Since that article 59, since that freedom of religion, there has been a truly significant increase throughout the national territory with respect to ancestral religions,” he comments.
Torrealba states that the Yoruba people do not prohibit others from practicing other beliefs. “The Yoruba religion is broad, it has no prohibitions,” and this leads him to assert that “statistics say that at least 70% of Venezuelans light a candle and invoke a Yoruba saint, a religious saint, an ancestral saint.”
Remember that “the Yoruba religion is based on the orishas, which are nothing more and nothing less than representations of our own nature, energy, and representations of nature. For example, Yemaya represents the sea, Changó represents thunder, the drum, and joy, and Oshún represents love, fresh water, and wealth.” But “it is very mixed, it also goes hand in hand with the Catholic religion. For example, in the case of syncretism, they say that Changó is Saint Barbara, they identify him with the Virgin of Regla, who is very venerated in Cuba, and they syncretize him with Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre. Here in Venezuela, a similar phenomenon of syncretism has also occurred.”
Although the Yoruba religion is not the same as the Maria Lionza cult, Torrealba explains that there is a union between the ancestral religions.
“The Ocha cult is dedicated to the Orishas, the Maria Lionza cult is Spiritism; however, within the union of ancestral religions, many religious practitioners, before undergoing Ocha initiation, must go to Spiritism and listen to the advice of Maria Lionza. In other words, it's like a mechanism connecting all the ancestral religions,” he explains.
This syncretism is especially palpable in the Cerro María Lionza Natural Monument, in the Sorte region of Yaracuy state.
The original legend of María Lionza tells of an indigenous princess with green eyes, named Yara, who was abducted by a great serpent and, by merging with nature, became the protector of the forests, wildlife, and rivers. With the arrival of the Spanish and African slaves, Yara's name became popularized as Our Lady of the Ounce, and later adopted the name María Lionza.
Over the years, the cult became structured around a central trilogy: María Lionza, force of nature; Cacique Guaicaipuro, symbol of indigenous resistance; and Negro Felipe, representative of the struggle of Afro-descendants.
But it was in 1960, when the Sorte mountain in the municipality of Chivacoa was declared a Natural Monument, that the place became the mythical religious epicenter surrounding the queen.
At the same time, Santería, originally born in Cuba, incorporated the African orisha deities Elegguá, Obatalá, Oshún and Changó, associating them with Catholic saints, such as Santa Bárbara and José Gregorio Hernández.
This movement, along with the so-called "spiritual courts", such as the Médica, the Malandra and the Vikinga, among others, are incorporated into the cult of María Lionza in a devotion that is increasingly gaining strength in Yaracuy.
That is why today it is common to see altars on Sorte mountain with plaster images of Queen Maria Lionza on the tapir, along with decorated plates and necklaces dedicated to the African orishas.
For Graznaya González Santana, born in La Guaira in 1963, but living in the Sorte mountain since she was just one year old, her faith in María Lionza is more than just religion, it is her life.
Besides being the director of the Mi Reina María Lionza Aborigen Yara foundation, she is the protector of the main altar located at the entrance of the María Lionza natural monument, one of the first to be established in the area, along with those of Buchicabure, Aracal and Quibayo.
“I live in my cabin right here in the mountains, next to my queen Maria Lionza, serving her and contributing to the continued growth of her worship in the region,” the faithful believer emphasized.
He mentioned that, although each group has its followers, they all live together like one big family that comes together on special occasions, such as the eve of October 12th, when the now-famous Dance in Fire is celebrated. On that day, everyone pays homage to their beloved mountain goddess by dancing on burning embers.
González Santana clarified that devotion to María Lionza is not at odds with the Catholic faith; on the contrary, God always comes first, and then the worship of the queen.
“My spiritual experience combines faith in God with my devotion to Maria Lionza and her manifestation in nature. God is everywhere, he has blessed all the nations of the world, and our queen is here with us, on the mountain,” he concluded.
In Venezuela, other beliefs of the indigenous peoples also coexist and are maintained. Eufrasio Jiménez, of the Warao people, says that the indigenous peoples continue to follow their beliefs. “Of course, at the same time you can believe in a God that the missionaries instilled in us.” However, he makes it clear that for indigenous peoples, “the religion would be Catholicism, but our beliefs are not religion.”
“We look at the universe, at the sky, we see the moon. Through the moon, our ancestors would say: the time of the crabs has arrived, the time of the tide, the time to go to the garden plot, the time to cut a tree, to build a house, the time to gather wild fruit, and so on. That is our belief, and we still follow it. We believe in God because the missionaries instilled that in us,” he explained. Últimas Noticias.
Jews and Muslims have a presence
The map of faith in Venezuela also includes minorities that have taken deep root through immigration. Although they represent a smaller percentage, Islam and Judaism offer distinct identities that survive and resist the test of time.
Miguel Truzman, national coordinator of the Confederation of Jewish Associations of Venezuela, recalls that a Jewish community was already consolidating in different parts of the country by the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although there is no study today that certifies the exact number, he says that currently “we can estimate that there may be around 5.000 Jews in the community” and “we have received news that some families are returning” to the country.
Despite the decline mainly caused “by economic circumstances,” Truzman affirms that Jews “are very active in all our festivities, commemorations, both patriotic and religious (…) as Venezuelan Jews we feel at ease, (…) as a community we maintain a normal daily life, we practice our faith without a problem in all our synagogues, in the study centers, in the schools, without any kind of impediment or restriction,” he assures. Últimas Noticias.
Caracas also boasts the Sheikh Ibrahim Al Ibrahim Mosque, the largest in the Americas, where they receive daily “Muslim brothers from more than 30 nationalities who live here in Venezuela, and Venezuelan brothers who want to learn about Islam also come to the mosque,” he tells Últimas Noticias Khalil Abdul Hade, director of the Islamic World League in Venezuela, who has managed this temple since 2003.
He points out that, because it is a minority religion, it does not have the structure of predominantly Muslim countries; that is, there is no single figure who is the mufti, but rather religious guides in different mosques.
The imam of the mosque, Omar, explains that in Islam, “prayer is not obligatory in the mosque; a person prays wherever they are. There are no requirements regarding location or a special environment for prayer, which is an act of personal worship directed to God directly, without intermediary or intercessor. (…) Facing Mecca, the person begins their prayer by reciting passages from the Quran, followed by praise and glorification while bowing and prostrating, which means lying down until their forehead touches the ground. The value of God in my life through prayer begins with obedience to God.”
Orthodox and Maronite Catholics
During the 20th century, thanks to successive waves of European, Arab, and Asian immigration, they sowed their ancestral traditions in the country.
In the religious landscape, Orthodox Christianity (which separated from Rome in 1054 and does not recognize papal authority) arrived in the suitcases of thousands of European and Middle Eastern refugees and immigrants. Although dogmatically they are the same Church, in the country they coexist under the influence of their colonial origins.
The Russian Orthodox Church flourished in the late 1940s, when the country opened its borders to those displaced by World War II and exiles fleeing the Bolshevik regime of the Soviet Union. The epicenter of this community in Caracas is St. Nicholas Cathedral, whose striking green domes evoke the classical architecture of Novgorod; even today, Church Slavonic is preserved in its prayers.
For its part, the Orthodox Church of Constantinople (linked to the Greek community) has several churches throughout the country. These churches go beyond the spiritual realm: they serve as true custodians of their identity, where new generations of Venezuelans with Greek roots learn the language of their ancestors, celebrate traditional spring festivals, and maintain a deep community connection centered around the church.
In the Lagunita Country Club residential area of Caracas, the urban landscape is broken by a structure reminiscent of the Transylvanian mountains: the Romanian Orthodox Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, one of the few churches of its kind built outside of Europe. Its interior is decorated with impressive frescoes in the flat, two-dimensional style of Byzantine art, which, in a touching nod to their homeland, includes a painting of Our Lady of Coromoto.
In the Quebrada Honda sector of Caracas stands the Monastery of Saint Charbel, where the Maronite Catholic Church operates. Unlike the Orthodox, the Maronites are in full communion with the Pope in Rome. They represent one of the oldest Eastern Catholic branches in the world, with their own particular rites, originating in Lebanon.
In their Sunday masses, the congregation, composed mainly of the country's active Syrian-Lebanese community, recites the liturgical prayers and chants combining Spanish with Arabic and ancient Syriac.
Eastern mysticism also took root in Venezuela, transforming homes in residential areas into gateways to India. Hinduism entered the country through merchants and professionals, but its most public and visible expression belongs to the Hare Krishna movement, with temples located in areas like San Bernardino and Colinas de Bello Monte in Caracas. Thus, religiosity in the country remains a dynamic, complex phenomenon, deeply ingrained in the social life of Venezuelans.
The researchers for this report were Mariela Acuña, Julio Pereira, Eligio Rojas, Reinaldo Linares, Lewis Pereira, Elianeth Hernández and Carlos Vielma.
