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Religion in Malta:
The Constitution of Malta provides for freedom of religion but establishes Roman Catholicism as the state religion. Freedom House and the World Factbook report that 98 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, making the nation one of the most Catholic countries in the world. The Sunday Mass Attendance Census 2005 commissioned by the Archdiocese of Malta reports that 52.6% of the population attends regular religious services. This is one of the highest rate of attendance in Europe.
Around 22% of the population is reported to be active in a church group, movement or community. Malta has the highest concentration of members per capita of the Neocatechumenal Way in the world, since it was introduced in the islands in 1973 by three Italian catechists, who started the first community in the Immaculate Conception Parish in Ħamrun.
The Patron Saints are Saint Paul, Saint Agata and Saint George Preca, known as Dun Ġorġ - the first Maltese saint, canonized on 3 June 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. A number of Maltese individuals are recognised as Blessed, including Adeodata Pisani and Nazju Falzon, these having been beatified by the late Pope John Paul II.
Various Roman Catholic religious orders are found in Malta, such as the Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans and Little Sisters of the Poor.
Most congregants at the local Protestant churches are not Maltese; many British retirees live in the country, and vacationers from many other nations compose the remainder of such congregations. There are approximately 500 Jehovah's Witnesses; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), the Bible Baptist Church, and the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches have about 60 affiliates. There is one Muslim mosque and one Jewish congregation. Zen Buddhism and the Bahá'í Faith also have about 40 members. There is one Muslim mosque and a Muslim primary school. Of the estimated 3,000 Muslims in Malta, approximately 2,250 are foreigners, approximately 600 are naturalized citizens, and approximately 150 are native-born Maltese.[28] There are also some churches of other denominations, such as St. Andrew's Scots Church in Valletta (a joint Presbyterian and Methodist congregation) and St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, as well as a Seventh-day Adventist church in Birkirkara. |
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