Oh Ireland! How many colors lurk in this country Ireland is a state of Northern Europe, located on the island of Ireland. The edge of European territories, then only the vast expanses of the Atlantic Ocean. On the eastern side of the coast of the island, the Irish Sea, which in antiquity was called the Iberian Ocean, as well as the North Straits and St. George.
Where is Ireland
Ireland is located in the north of the European part of the continent. It has access to three seas: the Celtic Sea - the south side, the Irish and North Sea - the east. Near the North Sea is the Strait of St. George. The Republic is divided into 26 counties: Longford, Carlow, Meath, Limerick and others.
Dublin is the capital of Ireland. The city is famous for its cultural attractions. For example, the distillery museum, the old Jameson Distillery, the ancient castle in Dublin, the Leprechaun Museum, the Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Finbarr. Sheepskin patterned sweater, pewter souvenirs, a shamrock image and strong whiskey - all this is where it is Ireland.
The country's latest population is 4,593,100, with about a quarter of the people living in Dublin.
Historical roots of religion in Ireland
The history of religion in Ireland is divided into two eras: pre-Christian and Christian. Pre-Christian religion - druidism. Druids are a class of priests of the ancient Celts who were engaged in science, medicine and judging. The first mention of them is contained in the texts of the traveler Pytheas. It was believed that their main role is the transmission of heroic legends and myths to the younger generation by word of mouth. In the IV-V centuries. they lost their status as priests, turning into village healers. In the twentieth century, the teachings of the druids were revived and received the name of neo-druidism.
Now the religion of Ireland is represented by two main branches: the Catholic and Protestant churches.
Christianity, according to the "Chronicle" of Prosper, originated in the IV-V centuries. ad. It began to gain more and more popularity among the nobility against the background of the decomposition of the primitive communal system. Of great importance was the work of Patrick, who was later canonized as a saint.
Pope Celestine sent Palladius to Ireland as the first Christian bishop. It is assumed that Christian communities existed before 431, their importance was great, so the Pope sent a bishop there.
Protestantism in Ireland
Protestantism came to the state in the 17th century and is associated with the resettlement of colonists from Britain. Initially, a small community formed. However, after a short amount of time in the northeastern counties, the number of Protestants increased markedly andoutnumbered Catholics. All this led to religious discrimination, as most of the leading and ruling positions were occupied by Protestants.
Religion is an integral part of everyday life, it greatly influences the life of people and their worldview. Therefore, after almost four centuries, the consequences of the religious schism are still being felt in the life of the Irish. It happened at the end of the 17th century, and its echoes are heard to this day. The split was caused by the enslavement of Ireland by England. However, until 1801 there was a parliament, which was destroyed shortly after the union, and the country came completely under the authority of the English crown.
An interesting feature is the flag of Ireland, green symbolizes Catholics, orange - Protestants, and white - this is peace between them.
Religion in the country today
Now the country is considered one of the most religious in Europe, but recently the church in Ireland has been pushed aside in the everyday life of citizens, especially among the younger generation.
The Irish constitution and universal rights have included the religious beliefs of Catholics since 1937. This phenomenon can be traced if we turn to constitutional documents. Until the 1950s, divorce proceedings were prohibited, until the 1970s there was a ban on the use of contraceptives, and there was also an amendment affirming the special role of the Catholic Church. The majority of the population adheres to Latin Rite Catholicism, Protestantism is also common. The ideas of atheism are steadily spreading among the Irish andagnosticism, according to the census in 1926, the number of Catholics was more than 90% of the population. 65 years after the census, it was found that about 3% of the population were not adherents of the faith at all.
Rejection of faith is on the rise. This affected the demographic situation in the country. In the mid-1990s, every fourth child was born out of wedlock. There has been an increase in the number of divorces, single parents and cases of refusal to live together.
Who are Roman Catholics?
Roman Catholicism is the Catholic Church, which is known as the Roman Catholic Church. It is the largest and oldest Christian church in the world. The name "catholic" comes from the Greek "καθ όλη", which means universal, whole. Often the Catholic Church is called the "Universal Church". Christianity dates back to the preaching of Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD. His idea is that God has three faces: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, as a result of which Christianity was divided into two branches: the Western Church, centered in the Vatican, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, centered in Constantinople.
Conclusion
According to the last census, held in 2006, there are about 3.6 million Roman Catholics in Ireland, 125.6 thousand Protestants, 32.5 thousand Muslims, approximately 20 thousand Orthodox and Presbyterians there are not so many atheists, but still they exist and they are mostly young people inage 27-29 people. In total, according to the 2006 census, about a thousand people lived in Ireland who do not believe in God. In 2012, the KNA agency published a report that indicated that the number of atheists had increased by 45% in six years, and now amounted to 269,800 people. Religion in Ireland, one of the most religious countries, is gradually fading into the background in the life of society.
