Legal framework on freedom of religion and actual application
Article 17 of the Constitution of the Principality of Monaco states that “all Monegasques are equal before the law”, and that “there is no privilege among them.” The Catholic, Apostolic and Roman religion is the religion of the State, as declared by Article 9. The Catholic Archbishop of Monaco occupies the highest government office below the sovereign and the Minister of State. Nonetheless, Article 23 states that “freedom of religion and of public worship (…) is guaranteed” by the constitution, except when its practice conveys an offense. Furthermore, the article also declares that “no one may be compelled to participate in the rites or ceremonies of any religion or to observe its days of rest”. Article 236-1-1 of the Monegasque Criminal Code provides for aggravated penalties when a crime is committed against a person or group of persons on the grounds of religion, among other things.
Other religious groups different from the state religion must apply for government recognition, which provides them with legal rights and privileges. To build public places of worship, religious communities must file a request with the Ministry of the Interior. It is government policy to consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.
In Monaco, there are several Catholic churches including six parishes, two Protestant churches, one Greek Orthodox Church, and one synagogue. The Russian Orthodox community was registered in 2017 and holds its services at a Protestant church. According to reports, in 2018 Orthodoxy overtook Protestantism to become the second-largest denomination in Monaco. There are no mosques, but Muslims can worship at a mosque less than two kilometers away in Beausoleil, France, and in private prayer rooms in their homes. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, which were only approved as a religious association in 2022, after a 2019 court decision in their favor, also worship in neighboring locations in Menton, Beausoleil, and Nice in France.
Incidents and developments
In line with the positive trend of previous years, no significant cases of anti-religion-motivated hate crimes or government restrictions on the practice of religion were reported in the period under review.
In October 2021, the Principality of Monaco, represented by the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Isabelle Rosabrunetto, participated in the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism.
Prospects for freedom of religion
Given the lack of reports of any hate crimes motivated by anti-religious bias, prospects for the right to religious freedom remain positive.
Monaco