E/CN.4/1992/52
page 99
Application has to be made to the Government, represented by the Ministry
of Justice, for recognition of religious denominations.
For this purpose it is necessary to submit a request signed by 500 duly
identified members of the congregation who are domiciled in Portugal,
accompanied by documents proving the existence of the denomination for a
number of years on Portuguese territory, the principles of its doctrine, its
name, a description of its acts of worship, the rules governing discipline and
the hierarchy in the organization, and the identity of its leaders.
Recognition can only be refused for two kinds of reasons:
Reasons of form - the organization does not submit the necessary
documents or the documents turn out to be false;
Reasons of substance - the doctrine, the rules or the worship of the
denomination are incompatible with safety of life, physical integrity or
personal dignity, morality, fundamental constitutional principles or the
interests of national sovereignty.
Recognition can be withdrawn if the organization violates one of these
principles or if its activity turns out to be concerned with matters other
than those that are the strict purpose of religious denominations."
"No distinction is made in our legislation between religions, religious
sects and religious associations.
Our Constitution, in the part dealing with public freedoms, does not make
any distinction between these three terms, as only the terms 'religion' and
'faith' are used. In Kinyarwanda they are translated by one and the same
word, 'idini'.
Article 16 of the Constitution
All citizens shall be equal before the law, without any discrimination,
in particular on grounds of race, colour, origin, ethnic group, clan, sex,
opinion, religion or social position.
Article 18 of the Constitution
Freedom of faith and of the public practice of one's faith, freedom of
conscience and freedom to express one's opinions on any matter are guaranteed,
except as regards the punishment of offences committed in the course of their
exercise.
These same terms are the only ones used throughout the criminal code in
the provisions dealing with infringements of the freedom of faith, aversion,
hatred and discrimination based on an individual's belonging or not belonging
to a particular religion.