Chile’s President Kast Tells Christian Politicians to Rebuild Trust
CHILE · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Chile, a nation of 19.9 million people, has been led since 11 March 2026 by José Antonio Kast, a conservative Catholic.
- —The background Catholics fell to 54% of Chileans aged 15 and over in the 2024 census, while 16.3% called themselves evangelical or Protestant.
- —Why now Deputies from Kast’s Republican Party helped organise ‘Gobernar con Fe’, a two-day meeting of Christian politicians from seven countries.
- —What happened On Friday 2 October, Kast closed the event in a church auditorium in Las Condes, telling about 300 people that Chile must regain trust.
- —Who came Guests included a Peruvian senator, a Bogotá councillor, a former Mexican congresswoman and a vice-president of the US Family Research Council.
- —What it means for you No policy was announced; the meeting shows how closely Kast’s party works with organised Christian groups.
- —Still open Organisers promised a ten-year ‘hemispheric declaration’ on Christians in public life; who signs it remains to be seen.
Chile’s President José Antonio Kast told a gathering of Christian politicians that the country has “a great opportunity to recover” its institutions. He spoke on Friday 2 October at the close of ‘Gobernar con Fe’ (Governing with Faith) in Las Condes, in eastern Santiago.
About 300 people, including Christian politicians from seven countries, attended, The Clinic reported. Deputies from Kast’s Republican Party helped organise the meeting with Reforma Chile, a Christian group that trains believers for public office.
What Kast Told the Meeting
“We have a great opportunity to recover our institutions,” Kast said, according to The Clinic and the regional site G5 Noticias. “Chile needs to recover trust, and if we act well, we can achieve it.”
He spoke hopefully about young people entering politics. One day, he said, they could point to the biblical line “by their fruits you will know them”, The Clinic reported.
Kast did not announce any policy. His remarks focused on conduct in office and on public confidence in institutions.
Who Organised Gobernar con Fe
Reforma Chile, which marks its tenth anniversary this year, describes itself as a social-Christian organisation. It runs a school that prepares Christians for roles in government and public leadership, the site Evangélico Digital reported.
Republican deputies Benjamín Lorca and Stephan Schubert led the organising work, The Clinic reported before the event. Kast’s son, Deputy José Antonio Kast Adriasola, was also listed among the participants.
The first day, Thursday 1 October, took place in the former National Congress building in central Santiago. The closing session on Friday moved to the auditorium of the Iglesia Cristo Tú Única Esperanza in Las Condes.
Lorca said Christians believe they can contribute to public life from their convictions. He pointed especially to new generations and to Chile’s development, The Clinic reported.
Christian Politicians From Across the Americas
The guest list linked Chilean Christian politicians with allies abroad. They included Peruvian senator Milagros Aguayo and Andrés Barrios Bernal, a member of Bogotá’s city council.
Rosa María de la Garza, a former Mexican federal deputy known as Rosi Orozco for her work against human trafficking, also attended. From the United States came Travis Weber of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian lobby in Washington.
Max Barroso of Oral Roberts University, an evangelical university in Oklahoma, completed the US delegation, according to The Clinic and G5 Noticias.
Faith and Politics in a Changing Chile
Chile is far less Catholic than it was a generation ago. In the 2024 census, 54% of people aged 15 and over called themselves Catholic, down from 70% in 2002, La Tercera reported.
Some 16.3% said they were evangelical or Protestant, and 25.8% reported no religion at all. The share with no religion has roughly tripled since 2002, when it stood at 8.3%.
A Friendly Audience at a Hard Moment
Kast arrived at the meeting under pressure at home. One monthly survey put his approval at 25% in September, as reported in Kast Approval Falls to 25% in Chile’s September Survey.
He also faces fights over his first budget, sent to Congress on 30 September, and over a US-led security pact. On Saturday, former president Eduardo Frei defended that pact, as covered in Chile Ex-President Frei Backs US-Led Escudo de las Américas Pact.
What the Event Does Not Mean
Gobernar con Fe was a private gathering of Christian politicians, run by a civil-society group and individual deputies. It was not a government programme, and Chile has separated church and state since its 1925 constitution.
The president’s attendance signals sympathy with the organisers’ aims, but it created no new law or policy. Nor does it change any rule for residents, visitors or investors in Chile.
What Comes Next
Reforma Chile said it would present a hemispheric declaration setting a ten-year course for Christian training and involvement in public life. It also plans to expand programmes for younger members, The Clinic reported.
For Kast, the next tests are in Congress, where lawmakers have 60 days to pass the 2027 budget. Christian politicians in his own party will be among the votes he needs.
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What was Gobernar con Fe?
A two-day meeting of Christian politicians and activists in Santiago on 1 and 2 October 2026. Reforma Chile organised it with deputies from President Kast’s Republican Party.
What did President Kast say to the Christian politicians?
He said Chile has a great opportunity to recover its institutions and needs to rebuild trust. He announced no new policy.
Is Chile still a Catholic country?
Catholics remain the largest group, at 54% of people aged 15 and over in the 2024 census. Evangelicals and Protestants make up about 16%, and church and state have been separate since 1925.
Sources: The Clinic, 3 October 2026; G5 Noticias, 2 October 2026; El Diario Santiago, 3 October 2026; The Clinic, 29 September 2026; Evangélico Digital, 30 September 2026; La Tercera, 7 July 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief