State religion
In the middle of Figueres' presidential campaign, anonymous allegations arguing Figueres was not Catholic were widely spread and picked up by the media. Costa Rica's political constitution establishes the Catholic faith as the official State religion . To dispel the strong rumors Monsenor Román Arrieta, Archbishop of San José and President of the Episcopal Conference was obliged to pronounce himself acknowledging José María Figueres had been baptized a Roman Catholic.