Abstract

PEREDA JARA MORENO, Nilo Segundo. THE CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN POLICE FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IN LATIN AMERICA. Aula Virtual [online]. 2025, vol.6, n.13, e464.  Epub July 14, 2025. ISSN 2665-0398.  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15474410.

This research focuses on the current context of the relationship between the constitutional recognition of the Catholic Church and its impact on the policing environment, an issue of growing relevance in diverse and multicultural societies. This issue is important because religious beliefs can strongly influence the decision-making of police officers, affecting their ability to fulfill their duties impartially and equitably. The objective of this article is to identify and analyze existing legislation on the constitutional recognition of the Catholic Church and its impact on the policing environment in various jurisdictions, seeking to explore how these regulations affect officers in situations of conflict of interest. To this end, a systematic review study was conducted using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method, which compiled and analyzed 25 relevant studies from academic databases from the last five years. The results reveal that, although legislative frameworks recognizing the Church exist, the implementation of these laws varies considerably, which in turn affects police operations in terms of freedom of conscience. This research suggests that it is essential to establish policies that respect the diversity of beliefs within law enforcement, promoting a balance between individual rights and job responsibilities.

Keywords : Catholic Church; legislation; police awareness; impact; human rights.

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