Religion in Antarctica

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

Because 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 of people also practice Islam, Hinduism, and other beliefs.

Some of the 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 who was part of an expedition led by Shackleton. He set up a small chapel inside a building at Cape Evans and held special Christian services there.

Over time, more religious services began in Antarctica. The first Catholic mass happened in 1946 at a chapel built by Argentina. The Chapel of the Snows, which is mostly used for Christian services, 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 set up in the area. After World War II, some military expeditions looked at the region. The International Geophysical Year (1957–1958) helped bring scientists together after a time when sharing ideas between different countries had been difficult. Since the 1950s, most stations in Antarctica have been built just for scientific research. Staying there for a long time can be very hard for scientists because they are far from their families.

Jesuits, known for their work in studying Earth’s physics, also helped with early missions in Antarctica. Some well-known Jesuit scholars took part in 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 many years without care and damage from harsh weather, the Grytviken church was fixed up and now used sometimes 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, also 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 months. Most research stations have a small meeting room used for religious gatherings. Larger stations and communities often have a separate room, sometimes a temporary steel container, for religious purposes.

The Chapel of the Snows was built in 1956 as a Christian chapel for use by several groups at McMurdo Station, Ross Island. The Chapel offers Protestant and Catholic services, but it has also been used for meetings of other faiths, such as 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’s presence on the continent. The Worldwide Antarctic Program plans to build a Catholic chapel at Mario Zucchelli Station, Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. 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 Catholic chapel made entirely 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 that can hold 36 people.

There is a small Catholic shrine near McMurdo Station called "Our Lady of the Snows". It is popularly known as "Roll Cage Mary" and was dedicated to a United States Navy worker who died during the station’s construction. The shrine is cared for by Carmelite nuns in New Zealand.

Eastern Orthodox Christian revival

Religious activities stopped during the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, but restarted after the Soviet Union ended and Communism fell in Central and Eastern Europe.

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 and the southernmost until 2011, when St Volodymyr (Vladimir the Great) Chapel at Ukrainian Vernadsky Research Base was built.

The Buromskiy Island cemetery is one of the region’s most important monuments. A Russian Orthodox cross now marks the site. The island holds a cemetery for about 60 people from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic and Switzerland who died while serving on Soviet and Russian Antarctic expeditions. It has been named a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 9) after Russia proposed it to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

In 2002, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow asked for a “Temple for Antarctica” and started the Trinity Church, Antarctica, a Russian Orthodox church at Bellingshausen Station, South Shetland Islands. The Church serves as a visible landmark and is cared for by the Moscow Patriarch. It was first looked after by one priest, but now two priests take turns each year. They also help maintain the station. On 29 January 2007, the first church wedding in Antarctica was held there, between a Chilean and a Russian. The first adult baptism also took place there.

Islam

Muslims have traveled to Antarctica, but there are no mosques there. Because Antarctica has very long days in the summer, it is difficult to fast during Ramadan as usual. Some Muslim scientists there use the time in Mecca for fasting instead.