Without question, the most important records for genealogical research in Latin America are those that have been kept by the Roman Catholic church. In Latin America, the vast majority of the people were Roman Catholics and were registered in the records of the local parish or diocese. The baptism, marriage, and death or burial records of the church are the best sources for tracing and linking families. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the registers, along with their birthplaces or residences.

In 1563 the Council of Trent formalized record-keeping practices that were already being followed in much of the Catholic world, including Spain and Portugal and some colonized areas of Latin America. Catholic churchmen had accompanied the first explorers and colonizers to Latin America, and church sacraments were instituted and recorded by them. Separate record books were maintained for baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths or burials. These Latin American parish registers date from the earliest times of settlement, in some cases (such as Peru) as early as the 1530s.

The rise of nationalism and independence in Latin America during the nineteenth century led to the opening of most countries to religious groups other than the Roman Catholic church. Immigrants, first from Europe and then from virtually all parts of the world, introduced a number of Christian and non-Christian religions to Latin America by the end of the century. Few churches or religions registered their adherents as comprehensively as the Catholic church did, although certain immigrant groups, such as the German Lutherans in southern Brazil and the Mennonites in Paraguay and Mexico, maintained a unique sense of religious community and ethnic identity.

Records in many areas of Latin America have been lost or have deteriorated due to natural effects, such as humidity and insects, and more dramatic events, such as fire, floods, and earthquakes. Civil and political strife have also caused the destruction of parish books in many countries. However, many records considered lost are simply misplaced or misidentified; over time, additional collections of parish books in Latin America have been discovered and microfilmed.

Information Recorded in Church Registers

The type of information recorded in parish books has varied over time. The later records generally give more complete information than the earlier ones. Baptism, marriage, and death records were kept by all parishes. These, along with additional parish records of genealogical value, are discussed below:

Baptisms [Bauptismos/Batismos]

Children were generally baptized within a few days of birth. A record of baptism typically gives the name, birth date, and birthplace of the person being baptized; the date of the baptism; and the names, residence, and birthplaces of the parents (and, in many cases, the grandparents).

Marriages [Matrimonios/Casamentos]

A marriage record gives the names of the bride and groom, their birthplaces, residences, occupations, and ages at the time of marriage; the names and residences of the parents; and the date of the marriage.

Marriage Information [Información Matrimonial, Expedientes Matrimoniales]

Marriage information includes marriage banns and petitions submitted to the parish priest. These documents show the status of the bride and groom in the Catholic church (including copies of baptismal certificates). They contain the parents' permission for the bride to marry if she was underage, certification that marriage banns could be read, and the priest's permission for the marriage to occur. The records may also show apostolic dispensation (that is, exemption from restriction of marriage) for the fourth degree of blood relationship, indicating that the bride and groom were related. Marriage information may also include genealogical graphs and interesting biographical information about the people involved.

Deaths or Burials [Defunciones/Obitos or Entierros/Enterros]

Deaths or burials were recorded in the register of the parish where the person was buried. A death or burial record gives the name and age of the person who died, the date of the event, and the person's residence. The record may possibly include the person's birthplace, the names of survivors, the cause of death, and an indication of whether the person left a will. In the case of the death or burial of small children, the names of the parents and their residence are usually given.

Confirmations [Confirmaciones/Confirmações, Crismas]

Confirmations were recorded inconsistently. They were often intermingled with baptism records. The records are brief but may include the names of the parents and godparents. In many towns and villages in Latin America, confirmations took place only when a bishop managed to visit the settlement; often, more than one child of a family or even entire family groups may be recorded in one place in the confirmation records.

Censuses and Enrollments [Censos, Matrículas, Padrones, Róis]

Ecclesiastical censuses and enrollments were taken every ten or fifteen years, listing the members of families living within the parish. For more information about church censuses, see the “Census” section of this outline.

Wills and Testaments [Testamentos]

Wills and testaments may provide names of family members or other heirs, list possessions, and give insight into the family and life of the deceased. For more information, see the “Probate Records” section of this outline.

Other Ecclesiastical Records

Many other records were kept by the Catholic church. Some are less valuable for genealogical research but are helpful for understanding the community in which a person lived. These records include—

• Parish account books [libros de fábrica]: Inventories of church property.
• Chaplaincies [capellanías]: Records of monetary and property grants to the church.
• Lawsuits [pleitos]: Records of property and privilege claims involving the church.
• Fraternal order books [libros de cofradías]: Record books of lay societies that assisted in parish activities.