549:
58:
150:
The first
Catholic mission started in 1863. It was called Motse-oa-'M'a-Jesu and led by Bishop Allard. He invited Holy Family Sisters from France to work with Sotho women. The initial efforts aimed at gaining converts as well as ending the practice of polygyny where old men paid a bride price to
146:
in the 1830s. While King
Moshoeshoe I invited Christian missionaries, he retained his traditional religion and divorced two of his wives who had converted to Christianity. Initial reports of French evangelist missionaries alleged cannibalism as a part of Lesotho traditional religion. Later
97:
report found
Protestants slightly outnumbered Catholics. Non-Christian religions represent only 1.5% of the population, and those of no religion 3.5%. The non-Christian people primarily subscribe to traditional African religions, with small groups of
170:
The traditional Sotho religion is traceable with archaeological evidence to around the 10th century. They share themes with the Tswana traditional religion. The Chief of a Sotho community was also their spiritual leader. Ancestor spirits called
147:
missionaries such as Henry
Callaway, as well as anthropologists, consider those initial reports as unreliable and mythical, rather than a historical or true representation of the traditional religion of the Lesotho people.
118:
In 2020, Catholics accounted for 45 percent of the population while
Protestants represented 31 percent and other Christians an additional 18 percent. The Catholic population is served by the province of the Metropolitan
1085:
151:
marry young girls. The later efforts attracted resistance from the traditional families. According to Allard's memoirs, Sotho women converted to
Catholicism in larger numbers earlier than Sotho men.
744:
1072:
1065:
1053:
177:
worship practices were a significant part of the Sotho community, along with rituals such as rainmaking dance. The Sotho had developed the concept of
806:
281:
128:
523:
154:
The two
Christian denominations have historic links to two major political parties in Lesotho. The Catholic Church has supported the
951:
791:
132:
136:
941:
478:
451:
424:
397:
319:
554:
159:
242:
1030:
262:
94:
124:
1041:
577:
821:
714:
662:
516:
1141:
548:
217:
587:
212:
371:
1122:
1104:
207:
861:
572:
1091:
976:
966:
771:
509:
981:
866:
801:
1098:
961:
921:
906:
891:
846:
786:
607:
155:
1078:
734:
493:
468:
441:
387:
309:
911:
120:
359:
1109:
1016:
991:
836:
831:
811:
781:
766:
642:
8:
1059:
1025:
1001:
971:
956:
936:
926:
916:
881:
826:
776:
751:
707:
1011:
1006:
946:
896:
856:
756:
692:
667:
632:
602:
597:
532:
187:, in Sotho theology, created lesser deities with powers to interact with human beings.
1047:
986:
931:
886:
871:
851:
841:
816:
761:
719:
682:
657:
612:
474:
447:
420:
393:
315:
996:
901:
796:
687:
672:
562:
222:
335:
729:
697:
652:
647:
582:
414:
57:
158:, while the Evangelicals have been aligned with the Basotho Congress Party. The
702:
677:
627:
622:
617:
142:
Christianity arrived in
Lesotho from French missions at the invitation of King
1135:
567:
267:
83:
61:
32:
22:
282:"Table: Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country"
143:
72:
724:
87:
42:
443:
Christianity in South Africa: A Political, Social, and
Cultural History
416:
African
Traditional Religion in South Africa: An Annotated Bibliography
107:
501:
65:
592:
198:
In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.
637:
385:
266:
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
99:
78:
466:
179:
173:
103:
195:
The Lesotho constitution protects the freedom of religion.
381:
379:
544:
446:. University of California Press. pp. 198–199.
376:
307:
162:represents the Holy See to the Lesotho government.
1133:
439:
412:
470:Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society
336:"Lesotho: Demographic and Health Survey, 2014"
517:
311:Routledge Companion to Christianity in Africa
274:
386:Mark Juergensmeyer; Wade Clark Roof (2011).
303:
301:
299:
494:Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
524:
510:
467:Toyin Falola; Daniel Jean-Jacques (2015).
353:
296:
123:and his three suffragans (the bishops of
258:
256:
254:
252:
56:
328:
284:. Pew Research Center. 19 December 2011
165:
1134:
531:
372:The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-28
505:
249:
555:Traditional African religions portal
365:
190:
13:
392:. SAGE Publications. p. 699.
14:
1153:
160:nuncio accredited to South Africa
95:United States Department of State
1086:Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
807:Democratic Republic of the Congo
547:
341:. Ministry of Health. p. 38
487:
460:
433:
389:Encyclopedia of Global Religion
314:. Routledge. pp. 393–394.
113:
90:being its main denominations.
473:. ABC-CLIO. pp. 644–645.
406:
235:
135:), who also form the national
1:
715:Traditional African religions
228:
64:. Lesotho is a predominantly
308:Elias Kifon Bongmba (2015).
218:Christian Council of Lesotho
7:
867:Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
588:Traditional Berber religion
213:Anglican Diocese of Lesotho
201:
10:
1158:
1123:African diaspora religions
208:Catholic Church in Lesotho
1119:
1024:
743:
573:Ancient Egyptian religion
539:
263:US State Dept 2022 report
183:, the Supreme Being. The
792:Central African Republic
440:Richard Elphick (1997).
419:. ABC-CLIO. p. 42.
413:David Chidester (1997).
51: Others / None (7%)
62:St. Michael's Cathedral
156:Basotho National Party
69:
952:São Tomé and Príncipe
942:Republic of the Congo
60:
21:Religion in Lesotho (
166:Traditional religion
137:episcopal conference
121:Archbishop of Maseru
1142:Religion in Lesotho
708:Serer creation myth
693:Malagasy mythology
603:Bushongo mythology
533:Religion in Africa
70:
1129:
1128:
1035:other territories
822:Equatorial Guinea
720:Tumbuka mythology
683:Lugbara mythology
668:Khoe/San religion
613:Dahomean religion
480:978-1-59884-666-9
453:978-0-520-20940-4
426:978-0-313-30474-3
399:978-1-4522-6656-5
321:978-1-134-50577-7
1149:
745:Sovereign states
688:Maasai mythology
673:Lotuko mythology
563:Akamba mythology
557:
552:
551:
526:
519:
512:
503:
502:
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491:
485:
484:
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458:
457:
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430:
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403:
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332:
326:
325:
305:
294:
293:
291:
289:
278:
272:
260:
247:
246:
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223:Islam in Lesotho
191:Religious rights
75:is the dominant
50:
40:
30:
1157:
1156:
1152:
1151:
1150:
1148:
1147:
1146:
1132:
1131:
1130:
1125:
1115:
1034:
1029:
1020:
739:
730:Yoruba religion
698:Mbuti mythology
653:Isoko mythology
583:Bantu mythology
553:
546:
535:
530:
500:
499:
492:
488:
481:
465:
461:
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116:
55:
54:
53:
52:
48:
46:
38:
36:
28:
12:
11:
5:
1155:
1145:
1144:
1127:
1126:
1120:
1117:
1116:
1114:
1113:
1107:
1105:Western Sahara
1102:
1095:
1089:
1082:
1076:
1069:
1063:
1057:
1051:
1045:
1042:Canary Islands
1038:
1036:
1022:
1021:
1019:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
984:
979:
974:
969:
964:
959:
954:
949:
944:
939:
934:
929:
924:
919:
914:
909:
904:
899:
894:
889:
884:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
839:
834:
829:
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819:
814:
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789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
747:
741:
740:
738:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
711:
710:
703:Serer religion
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
678:Lozi mythology
675:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
628:Efik mythology
625:
623:Dogon religion
620:
618:Dinka religion
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
593:Bono mythology
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
559:
558:
543:
541:
537:
536:
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528:
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514:
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459:
452:
432:
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405:
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375:
364:
362:, CIA Factbook
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327:
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295:
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167:
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115:
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27:
19:
18:
17:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1083:
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1074:
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1067:
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978:
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968:
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953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
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935:
933:
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928:
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923:
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918:
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913:
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908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
862:Guinea-Bissau
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
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815:
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770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
746:
742:
736:
735:Zulu religion
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
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709:
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669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
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651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
638:Igbo religion
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
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601:
599:
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581:
579:
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571:
569:
568:Akan religion
566:
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561:
560:
556:
550:
545:
542:
538:
534:
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522:
520:
515:
513:
508:
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476:
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463:
455:
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268:public domain
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134:
130:
129:Mohale's Hoek
126:
122:
111:
109:
105:
101:
96:
91:
89:
85:
84:Protestantism
81:
80:
74:
67:
63:
59:
44:
34:
33:Protestantism
26:
24:
23:Afrobarometer
16:
1097:
1084:
1071:
1026:Dependencies
977:South Africa
967:Sierra Leone
876:
772:Burkina Faso
608:Christianity
578:Baháʼí Faith
489:
469:
462:
442:
435:
415:
408:
388:
367:
355:
343:. Retrieved
330:
310:
286:. Retrieved
276:
265:
237:
197:
194:
184:
178:
172:
169:
153:
149:
144:Moshoeshoe I
141:
117:
114:Christianity
92:
77:religion in
76:
73:Christianity
71:
20:
15:
982:South Sudan
725:Waaqeffanna
133:Qacha's Nek
88:Catholicism
43:Catholicism
1121:See also:
1112:(Tanzania)
1099:Somaliland
1092:St. Helena
1056:(Portugal)
1031:autonomies
962:Seychelles
922:Mozambique
907:Mauritania
892:Madagascar
847:The Gambia
787:Cape Verde
643:Irreligion
229:References
912:Mauritius
540:Religions
243:"Lesotho"
93:The 2022
66:Christian
1136:Category
1110:Zanzibar
1081:(France)
1073:Puntland
1062:(France)
1017:Zimbabwe
992:Tanzania
837:Ethiopia
832:Eswatini
812:Djibouti
782:Cameroon
767:Botswana
633:Hinduism
598:Buddhism
345:21 April
288:21 April
202:See also
1079:Réunion
1068:(Spain)
1066:Melilla
1060:Mayotte
1054:Madeira
1050:(Spain)
1044:(Spain)
1002:Tunisia
972:Somalia
957:Senegal
937:Nigeria
927:Namibia
917:Morocco
882:Liberia
877:Lesotho
827:Eritrea
802:Comoros
777:Burundi
752:Algeria
663:Judaism
658:Jainism
360:Lesotho
108:Baha'is
100:Muslims
82:, with
79:Lesotho
68:nation.
1012:Zambia
1007:Uganda
947:Rwanda
897:Malawi
857:Guinea
757:Angola
477:
450:
423:
396:
318:
185:Modimo
180:Modimo
174:Badimo
125:Leribe
104:Hindus
49:
41:
39:
31:
29:
25:2020)
1048:Ceuta
1033:, and
987:Sudan
932:Niger
887:Libya
872:Kenya
852:Ghana
842:Gabon
817:Egypt
762:Benin
648:Islam
339:(PDF)
45:(41%)
35:(52%)
1094:(UK)
997:Togo
902:Mali
797:Chad
475:ISBN
448:ISBN
421:ISBN
394:ISBN
347:2018
316:ISBN
290:2018
131:and
106:and
86:and
1138::
378:^
298:^
251:^
139:.
127:,
110:.
102:,
1028:,
525:e
518:t
511:v
483:.
456:.
429:.
402:.
349:.
324:.
292:.
270:.
245:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
