There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report. There were no reports of religious detainees or prisoners. There were no reports of the forced religious conversion of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the Government's refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States. Societal Attitudes Citizens generally are tolerant of religious differences, though some discrimination occurs. Non-Catholic clergymen sometimes have difficulties gaining access to prisons and public hospitals.
Access is at the discretion of administrators.
Catholic priests usually do not face such difficulties. A bill is pending in Congress to outlaw acts of discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin. There was one false bomb threat against a Santiago synagogue in late August 1998. The Government has said that it would look for legal mechanisms to block this meeting. Parties across the political spectrum and religious groups have criticized the proposed conclave.