Satanism gains ground in Chile as traditional religions decline

Satanists and Luciferians in Chile take part in a Celtic pagan festival in Santiago, October 31, 2024. Photo: ASP

According to Associated Press, five years after controversy and public alarm over the recognition of the The Satanic Temple in the United States, a similar movement has emerged in conservative Chile, where roughly half of the country’s 18 million people still identify as Catholic.

Luis Bahamondes, a professor at the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Chile, told AP that “these types of organizations now feel that they have greater support to challenge what was virtually impossible before."

He noted that until recently, the Catholic Church exercised unprecedented influence, shaping views on politics, economics, geopolitics, sexuality, and education.

Founded in 2021, the Chilean “Temple of Satan” has around 100 members and more than 400 applications pending. Prospective members undergo background checks, interviews with a special committee, and psychological evaluation. Interest surged in late July, when the group formally applied to the Ministry of Justice for legal recognition as a religious organization.

Members include writers, firefighters, police officers, lawyers, and psychologists who see the group as a way to challenge moral norms, dogmas, and what they describe as religious imposition. Rather than worshiping gods, they emphasize humanity.

One member told AP: “You are the owner of your present and your future, there is no God that makes decisions for you.” The adherent added that Satan is purely symbolic, and that their rituals are intended “to bring out the emotions and leave the intellect aside.”

Representatives of Chile’s Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical, and Jewish communities said in a joint statement that “the history of Satanism is well known, and it has often led to tragedies.”

Followers of Satanism in Chile, drawing on the tradition of the Church of Satan established by Anton Szandor LaVey, emphasize skepticism and logic over belief in heavenly or supernatural beings. Their adherents are free to formulate their own beliefs, rituals, and spiritual practices.

Néstor da Costa, an expert on secularism and religion at the Catholic University of Uruguay, said the influx of people seeking answers through different perspectives might be linked to the search for less dogmatic approaches

“It may be a readjustment of the religious side of people who leave Catholicism but continue to believe in something,” he added.

Whether the Chilean government will grant the “Temple of Satan” official religious status remains unclear, but its emergence points to deeper shifts within what was until recently a strongly conservative society.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a large-scale satanic show titled “Gates of Darkness” was held in the streets of Toulouse, France.

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