Paraguay's Senate has approved a bill declaring a national Evangelical Church Day, aiming to recognise the contribution of the country's evangelical community. The commemoration will fall on the last Sunday of October each year.
The bill states its goal is "raising awareness of and promoting the historical, cultural, social, educational, humanitarian and spiritual contribution of Paraguay's Evangelical Churches".
The legislation was originally tabled on 12 August by senators Orlando Penner, Lizarella Valiente, Blanca Ovelar and Gustavo Leite, who proposed fixing the date specifically as 31 October each year. During debate, the Senate amended this so the commemoration would instead fall on the last Sunday of October annually, rather than a fixed calendar date.
It won't be a public holiday. The original text put to Congress did not provide for a day off work, only the declaration of a date of national significance. Senators also amended the proposal so that including the day in the school calendar would not be obligatory.
Evangelicals make up 9.2%t of Paraguay's population, with the proportion exceeding 10% in urban areas.
Defending the bill, Senator Orlando Penner highlighted the social contribution of evangelical churches, saying:
"There are thousands upon thousands of people involved in this daily work, which is funded almost exclusively by voluntary contributions and does not depend on the State or the national budget."
Senator Blanca Ovelar, a Catholic, also backed the legislation. She said her support came from "a respect for religious diversity and freedom of worship," adding that she believes all religious beliefs must be respected.
The bill must now proceed through the remaining stages of Paraguay's constitutional legislative process before it can receive final approval.
Paraguay is an historically Catholic country with 89% of the population identifying as Catholic, though the state is officially secular. However, like much of Latin America, Paraguay has seen steady evangelical growth in recent decades, driven by Pentecostal and charismatic churches in particular.