Religion in Antarctica

Religion in Antarctica

Religion in Antarctica is mainly based on Christianity. The only religious buildings there are churches. The most famous is the Chapel of the Snows. It is used for Christian worship but has also hosted ceremonies for other beliefs such as Buddhism and the Baháʼí Faith.

Antarctica is a place for science and research. Most people living there come from many different backgrounds. Because of this, many do not follow a specific religion. However, small groups practice Islam, Hinduism, and other beliefs.

Some early religious buildings in Antarctica are now protected as important historical monuments. These structures remind us of the people who first traveled to this icy land and the traditions they brought with them.

Beginnings

The first religious leader to visit Antarctica was Arnold Spencer-Smith, an Anglican priest. He was part of an expedition led by Shackleton. He made a small chapel inside a building at Cape Evans and held special Christian services there.

Later, more religious services started in Antarctica. The first Catholic mass was in 1946 at a chapel built by Argentina. The Chapel of the Snows is mostly used for Christian services. It has also been used for ceremonies from other faiths like Buddhism and the Baháʼí Faith. Some of these early religious buildings are now protected as important historical sites.

History (including the subantarctic islands)

Around 1900, places for whaling stations and camps for explorers were built in the area. After World War II, some military expeditions visited the region. The International Geophysical Year (1957–1958) helped scientists from different countries work together. Since the 1950s, most stations in Antarctica have been for scientific research. Scientists who stay there for a long time find it hard to be far from their families.

Jesuits, who study Earth’s physics, helped with early missions in Antarctica. Some famous Jesuit scholars were part of this work.

The first churches south of the Antarctic Convergence and north of 60° S latitude are Notre-Dame des Vents at Port-aux-Français on the main island of Kerguelen and the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Grytviken, South Georgia. After years without care and damage from bad weather, the Grytviken church was repaired and is sometimes used for services and special events.

Some churches north of the Antarctic Convergence serve areas linked to Antarctica, like the Christ Church Cathedral in Stanley, the world’s southernmost Anglican cathedral. It serves the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territory. Punta Arenas, at the southern end of South America, has a Roman Catholic cathedral that serves the Chilean Antarctic Territory.

In recent years, Christians have used the internet to stay connected with each other.

Notable buildings

See also: List of Antarctic churches

Out of nearly 90 stations in Antarctica, half are only used in the summer. Most research stations have a small room for religious meetings. Bigger stations often have a separate room, sometimes a temporary container, for religious use.

The Chapel of the Snows was built in 1956 for people at McMurdo Station, Ross Island. It offers Protestant and Catholic services and has been used by other faiths too, like Latter-day Saints, Baháʼís and Buddhists, as well as for non-religious groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. The chapel was rebuilt after a fire in 1978 and rededicated in 1989.

Catholic sites

Most Catholic sites in Antarctica are linked to Argentina. The Worldwide Antarctic Program plans to build a Catholic chapel at Mario Zucchelli Station, Terra Nova Bay. The first Catholic chapel, named after Saint Francis of Assisi, was built in 1976 at the Argentine Esperanza Base. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows is at the Argentine Belgrano II Base at Coats Land. It is a permanent chapel made of ice.

Other Catholic buildings include the Chapel of Santisima Virgen de Lujan, Antarctica at Marambio Base, Seymour Island, San Francisco de Asis Chapel at Esperanza Base, Antarctic Peninsula and Santa Maria Reina de la Paz Church at the Villa Las Estrellas, South Shetland Islands. Santa María Reina de la Paz is a repurposed container.

There is a small Catholic shrine near McMurdo Station called "Our Lady of the Snows".

Eastern Orthodox Christian revival

Religious activities stopped during the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, but started again after the Soviet Union ended.

The St. Ivan Rilski Chapel, a Bulgarian Orthodox chapel at St. Kliment Ohridski Base, South Shetland Islands, was built in 2003. It was the first Eastern Orthodox building in Antarctica.

The Buromskiy Island cemetery holds a monument for people who died serving on Soviet and Russian Antarctic expeditions. It has been named a Historic Site or Monument.

In 2002, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow asked for a church for Antarctica and started the Trinity Church, Antarctica, a Russian Orthodox church at Bellingshausen Station. It serves as a landmark and is cared for by the Moscow Patriarch. Priests take turns looking after it each year.

Islam

Muslims have visited Antarctica, but there are no mosques there. During the summer, days are very long, making it hard to fast for Ramadan in the usual way. Some Muslim scientists choose to fast using the time in Mecca instead.