About 85% of Chileans are Roman Catholics and about 10% are Protestants. The Mapuche Indians have their own religion. There are also some followers of the Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist faiths. Although only a quarter of Chilean Roman Catholics attend church regularly, religion is an important part of Chilean culture. Close to a third of Chilean children attend Catholic schools and study religion as part of their school curriculum. Catholic priests and nuns are highly respected. In Chile religious practices such as baptism, first communion, marriage and funerals are important family events.
During the period of Pinochet's regime, the Chilean Catholic Church became an active political force. It denounced the junta's human rights violations, set up various social programs for the families of political victims and fought for the return of democracy in Chile. Pentecostalism, a form of Protestantism, is a growing movement in Chile. The Jotabeche Methodist Pentecostal Church in Santiago is the world's largest Pentecostal church with a congregation of more than 80,000.	Did you know? The Machi possess a sacred kultrun, a drum that is believed to complement their supernatural power. They play the drum during prayers and religious activities. The kultrun is a powerful symbol in the Mapuche religious tradition.
The tribal religion of the Mapuche is closely linked to the land and their environment. The Mapuche believe in the existence of a divine family known as Elmapun, Elchen, Ngunemapun and Ngunechen. Loosely translated, these names mean the Old God, the Wife of the Old God, the Young God and the Wife of the Young God. The divine family sustains man and nature. The spiritual leader of the Mapuche is called the Machi and is usually a woman. The Machi communicates with the divine family and works with them to maintain harmony in nature and combat the forces of evil personified in Wekufe. The Machi may be spiritual leaders or may possess the power and knowledge to cure people or make them ill with a spell. Machis are consulted on a regular basis in Chile, not just by people of the Mapuche tribe. Religious practices are part of the daily life and culture of the Mapuche. Although a number of Mapuche today are Roman Catholics, they still observe many of the religious customs of the Mapuche tribe.