Macau

Macau (Macao, Aomen), like its neighbor Hong Kong, is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China in the southern Guangdong province; it is heavily Buddhist, even though it was once an important locale for Christian missionaries. Although founded by the Portuguese as a colony in 1557, only around 3% of its population is currently Portuguese, with ethnic Chinese accounting for approximately 95% of its residents by the end of the 20th century. Due to the colonial Portuguese administration, Macau was heavily Catholic in the past, but now Buddhism claims more than 79% of the devoted and Catholicism retains about 5%; the remainder is divided between Protestants, Baha'is, Muslims, and a small Falun Gong community. Although Protestant Christianity does not account for a large portion of the populace, many different denominations are active, including the Anglican, Baptist, and Lutheran congregations. The Union of Christian Evangelical Churches in Macau was founded in 1990, which has resulted in greater cooperation between the faiths, something that was lacking in the past. A temple to the Chinese deity A-ma was active when the Portuguese first anchored in Macau and has remained operational till date.

Claimed by Portugal as an overseas territory until the end of 1999, Macau is one of only two Chinese special administrative regions (Hong Kong being the other) and has historically served as Christianity's foothold in Asia. The Italian Jesuit Mateo Ricci first brought Catholicism from Beijing to Macau in the 16th century, and missionary activity has long been launched from Macau into China, Japan, and the islands of Southeast Asia. The Catholic identity furnished by the Portuguese kept Macau's populace connected with the colonizing country even in times of discontent, and the Diocese of Macau historically retained jurisdiction over ecclesiastical territories in China, Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. However, due to its positive stance on Chinese immigration and settlement, Buddhism has reigned as the most popular religion for years and is still the fastest growing religion of the region. Confucianism has also played a role in Macauan culture since the early 10th century, with the Basic Law of Macau, the constitution by which freedom of religious practice is guaranteed, being heavily based on Confucian teachings.

Macau's willingness to be multicultural has fostered an environment conducive to the free practice of religion, and in 1998 the Religious Freedom Ordinance was put into effect to lend the power of law to what has traditionally been respected. This part of Macau's Basic Law furnishes freedom of conscience; freedom of religious belief, assembly, and education; and the right to hold religious processions. This ordinance may help explain the Macauan Catholic bishops’ reluctance to enter into the political arena, something their brethren in Hong Kong have been more willing to do. To enjoy the status of religion, and thereby be protected under the Religious Freedom Ordinance, groups must register with the Identification Services [Page 724]Bureau of Macau. This requirement essentially enables the administration to define what is and is not religion. Groups such as the Falun Gong pose a problem in this realm, as they neither fit neatly into what is generally considered a religion nor universally agree on their coherent religious status. Their lack of registration with the Identification Services Bureau, compounded by their not registering under the Societies Ordinance (to which all nongovernmental groups are required to register), has led sometimes to violent confrontations with the police during Falun Gong activities in public parks.

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