Editing Bonaire (section)

=== Religion ===

As in the rest of the former Netherlands Antilles, [[Christianity]] is the predominant religion of Bonaire. Roman Catholicism is the faith of the majority (68%) of the population, and there are also Protestant minorities.<ref name="Religion" /> Catholicism was introduced during the period of Spanish rule. Although the island would pass under the control of the Protestant Netherlands, Catholicism remained the principal island religion. Ecclesiastically, the churches on Bonaire depend on the Catholic diocese of Willemstad on the neighboring island of Curaçao.

After the discovery of Bonaire by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499, the spiritual life of the Christians was in the hands of the monks who came from Venezuela for baptisms. These missionaries belonged to the Jesuits of the Franciscan order. The first resident priest was Jacob Bernardus Eisenbel (Dutch), who came from Aruba to settle for several years in Bonaire and after whom the Parish of St. Bernard, the main Catholic church of the capital of Bonaire, Kralendijk, is named.

Rincon, Bonaire's second largest city, offers numerous regular festivals, including the annual Simadan (harvest) festivals and Dia di San Juan (St. John's Day).{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Bonaire (2014):<ref name="Religion" />
|label1 = [[Roman Catholic]]
|value1 = 68
|color1 = Purple
|label2 = [[Protestant]]
|value2 = 16
|color2 = DodgerBlue
|label3 = Other religion
|value3 = 4
|color3 = Yellow
|label4 = No denomination
|value4 = 12
|color4 = Grey
}}

Bonaire also has an [[Islam]]ic centre and a Jewish community.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geographia.com/bonaire/bonairereligion.htm |title=Bonaire Religion |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922054922/http://www.geographia.com/bonaire/bonairereligion.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>