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15.
Foreigners’ freedom of religion is also guaranteed in article 20 of the Constitution, which
reads: “Foreigners in the territory of the Nation shall enjoy all civil rights of citizens; they may
freely practise their religion …”.
16.
Under article 19 of the Constitution, “Private activities which are in no way contrary to
public order and morality and which are not prejudicial to another party shall be matters for God
only and shall not be subject to the authority of the courts”.
17.
According to article 1 of the Constitution, “The Federal Government supports the
apostolic and Roman Catholic religion”.
18.
Since the 1994 constitutional reform, various international human rights instruments have
been incorporated into the Constitution and have constitutional status (article 75, paragraph 22,
of the Constitution), including those directly or indirectly related to freedom of religion or belief,
namely, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
19.
The 1994 constitutional reform repealed the constitutional provisions stating that the
President and the Vice-President of the Republic had to be Catholic, that the President had a say
in the appointment of priests, as well as the power to approve or not approve Catholic Church
bulls, and that it was the responsibility of Congress to maintain relations with indigenous peoples
and promote their conversion to Catholicism.
20.
With regard to indigenous peoples, article 75 of the Constitution reads: “It is the
responsibility of Congress: To recognize the ethnic and cultural pre-existence of Argentine
indigenous peoples. To guarantee respect for their identity and their right to bilingual and
cross-cultural education; to recognize the legal capacity of their communities and community
possession and ownership of the lands they traditionally occupy; and regulate the granting of
other lands that are adequate and sufficient for human development; none of them shall be sold,
transmitted or subject to liens or attachments. To guarantee their participation in the
management of their natural resources and other interests affecting them”.
2. Provincial constitutions
21.
Like article 2 of the Federal Constitution, the constitutions of Buenos Aires (1994),
Catamarca (1988), Córdoba (1988), Rioja (1988), Salta (1988), Santiago del Estero (1986) and
Tucumán (1990) embody the principle of State support for the Apostolic Roman Catholic
Church.
22.
The constitution of the province of Santa Fe (1962) recognizes Apostolic Roman
Catholicism as the official religion.