Religion in the Argentine Constitution
The Argentine Constitution, originally written in 1853 and last amended in 1994, invokes God in its preamble and guarantees the free exercise of religious practice and belief by both citizens and foreigners in Articles 14 and 20 respectively. These rights apply regardless of religious affiliation, but the constitution recognizes Roman Catholicism as the official religion of the state. Until 1994, the constitution mandated that the president had to be a member of the Catholic faith. Other historical parts of the document, since removed, stipulated that the Congress should promote Catholicism among the indigenous peoples and that the Executive should have the power to appoint bishops, with the approval of the Senate, and rule on the applicability of Papal decrees to Argentina, with the approval of the Supreme Court.