Paraguay - Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue

Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná
and Jesús de Tavarangue (1993)
Paraguay

In addition to their artistic interest, these missions are a reminder of the Jesuits' Christianization of the Río de la Plata basin in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the accompanying social and economic initiatives.

Paraguay 2003. Se-tenant strip depicting the ruins of the Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná.

Paraguay 2003. Se-tenant strip depicting the ruins of the Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná. The images on the left and the right margins are labels with no postal value.

Roman Catholicism, the official religion, is the faith of about 90 percent of all Paraguayans. Freedom of worship is extended to other faiths. A number of small Protestant groups exist, of which the Mennonite group is the largest.

The history of the Jesuit order has been marked by a steadily increasing prejudice against it, especially in Roman Catholic countries. Their devotion to the papacy called forth opposition from nationalistic rulers and leaders, and their zeal for ecclesiastical reform antagonized the clergy. At one time or another the order has been expelled from every country in Europe, and in 1773 a coalition of powers under Bourbon influence induced Pope Clement XIV to issue a brief suppressing the order.

St. Vincent of the Grenadines 1996. UNESCO anniversary. Ruins of Monastery, Paraguay. The stamp is digitally cut out of a souvenir sheet. Click here to see the full sheet. The link will open in a new window. The stamp is located in the bottom row, on the left. Scan by courtesy of Miomir Zivkovic (Serbia).

St. Vincent of the Grenadines 1996. UNESCO anniversary. Ruins of Monastery, Paraguay.

Frederick II, king of Prussia, and Catherine II, empress of Russia, both admirers of Jesuit education and scholarship, refused, however, to give the brief the publication necessary to make it effective, and in those countries the order survived in local organizations until 1814, when Pope Pius VII reestablished the Jesuits on a worldwide basis. Political and religious opposition also revived; since the reestablishment of the order, it has been free from attack only in Denmark, Sweden, Britain, and the United States.

Sources and links:

Microsoft Encarta 2002.
Jesuits in Paraguay (Tavarangué) (with many stamps)
Jesuits in Paraguay (La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná) (with many stamps)
Ruinas Jesuíticas del Paraguay, (Unitour) (spanish only)

Many thanks to Mr. Miomir Zivkovic (Serbia & Montenegro), for all help, support, and encouragement.

At present there are no other World Heritage Sites in Paraguay. Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, Paraguay Section, for further information on the individual properties.

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