Practicing your religion in Luxembourg: church, synagogue, mosque

The practice of religion in Luxembourg

Freedom of worship and religious expression

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg recognizes the freedom of worship and expression of religious convictions by article 19 of its Constitution. Agreements have been signed bilaterally between the religious authorities and the State to take charge of the religious representatives or not.

In 1970, at the time of the last census of the religion practiced by the population, 96.9% of Luxembourg residents were Catholic, 1.2% Protestant, 0.2% Jewish and 1.7% other. Today, the law of March 1979 prohibits the recording of religious, philosophical or denominational affiliation in Luxembourg.

Decline in religious practice but increase in spirituality

According to the latest study published in March 2023 by STATEC, a statistical research organization in Luxembourg, it appears that the practice of religion has declined sharply in Luxembourg over the past twenty years. According to the study conducted at the end of 2020 – beginning of 2021 by the European Value Survey (EVS), only 24% of respondents attach importance to religion compared to 42% in 2008.

On the other hand, 40% recognize the presence of a “superior force”, while 15% recognize the existence of a god. Only 48% said they practiced a religious faith, of which more than 92% were Christians and 85% Catholics.

The main religious cults in Luxembourg

Catholic Church

Catholic Church Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a country with a Christian tradition. The public holidays and many traditions that still exist are directly linked to Catholic practices.

67% of the Luxembourg population was Catholic at 12 years old. On the other hand, only 41% of those surveyed admit to still being Catholic.

You will find everywhere in the country and in your commune catholic churches where you can attend religious services. The website cathol.lu lists the parishes in Luxembourg.

The celebrations in the different parishes are also published with the language used during the religious service. Masses are generally celebrated in trilingual Luxembourgish, French and German. Some celebrations are held in French, Italian, English, Latin or other languages. More information on the celebrations here.

The European Parish of Luxembourg brings together not only native English speakers, but also all other communities where English is a second language. Masses in English are held at the Saint Alphonse Church in Luxembourg.

Three famous Catholic pilgrimages take place on Luxembourg soil:

the Octave pilgrimage: it takes place from the 3rd to the 5th Sunday after Easter at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg. He celebrates the Virgin Mary
the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Fatima in Wiltz is celebrated on Ascension Day. It brings together mainly the Portuguese community
the dancing procession in Echternach is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It gathers more than 10,000 people every year on Whit Tuesday, coming to meditate or to enjoy this very special show.

Protestant Church

Protestantism was for a long time the 2nd religion of the country. However, it would seem that with less than 2% of the population, this religion is now supplanted by Islam. There are several protestant places of worship in Luxembourg:

the Church of the Trinity at 5 Rue de la Congrégation in Luxembourg-City
the Protestant parish center at 1 Rue Jules Wilhelm in Luxembourg-Clausen
the hospital chapel in Ettelbrück
the Faber House in Wiltz

There is also the Protestant Reformed Church as well as the Evangelical Church in German language.

For more information about the Protestant Church of Luxembourg and the Protestant worship, you can consult the website protestant.lu.

Anglican Church

Of the 7,000 or so British residents in Luxembourg, nearly 60% are Anglicans.

Present in Luxembourg for more than 50 years, the Anglican Church of Luxembourg is located at the Konvikt Centre, 5 Avenue Marie-Thérèse in Luxembourg. You will find all the information you need on the Anglican.lu website.

Orthodox Church

Several Orthodox churches are present in Luxembourg.

The Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul is located 10 Rue Jean-Pierre Probst in Luxembourg. You can find more information about the Russian Orthodox Church on the website egliserusse.lu.

You can also get more information about the Hellenic, Romanian, Serbian or Coptic Orthodox churches on the site religion.lu.

Other Christians

It is also possible to practice other Christian cults in Luxembourg, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormon Church, the Apostolic Church, etc.

Islam – Muslim worship

Islam now seems to be the second religion in the country with about 2% of residents practicing.

Due to the arrival of immigrants from North African countries in the 1970s and from the Balkans in the 1990s, the Muslim community has seen its numbers increase. From a family practice of worship, Muslims now have places of worship and several cultural centers in the country.

Several Islamic associations are present in Luxembourg, in different cities, which makes it easy to practice one’s Muslim religion. A law passed in 2018 bans the wearing of face masking veils in public places.

You can consult the site islam.lu for any further information.

Israelite Synagogue

The main synagogue of the country is located in Luxembourg City, Avenue de Monterey. There is also a Jewish community in Esch-sur-Alzette. For more information, you can refer to the website of the Consistoire Israélite de Luxembourg sinagogue.lu.

There is also a Jewish community in Esch-sur-Alzette. You can get more information on the jewish.lu website.

Buddhists

Buddhism began to develop in Luxembourg in the 1990s. It seems that less than 1% of the population is Buddhist. There is a Center for the Study and Practice of Tibetan Buddhism Dzogchen Shedrup Darje Ling in Howald. More information on luxembourg.patrulrinpoche.net/.