Brazil: Penecostals make inroads in world's largest Catholic country

Vatican Insider:

Over the past ten years, millions of Brazilians have left the world’s biggest Catholic community, to join Pentecostal congregations

Thirty years ago, 90% of Brazilians called themselves Catholic. Now, this figure has dropped to 68%, the lowest since 1872. Alarm bells have started ringing because more and more people in the world’s largest Catholic country (140 million faithful), are severing their ties with Rome.

So much for a Latin America that was once a land of hope for global Catholicism. Today’s figures show quite the opposite. According to data published by the “Getulio Vargas” foundation, over the last decade, as a result of secularisation and the boom in evangelisation sects, the number of Brazilian Catholics is constantly falling, as dozens of evangelical denominations grow disproportionately. A study carried out on 200 thousand people by Brazil’s main research institute, portrays a progressive distancing, particularly of new generations, from the Catholic Church.

Significantly, the Holy See chose Rio de Janeiro for the next World Youth Day celebrations, in order to re-launch pastoral action in South America. Over the past ten years, millions of Brazilians have left the planet’s biggest Catholic community, to join Pentecostal congregations. 2010 was a black year for the Catholic Church in Brazil. The number of under 20s declaring they did not follow any religion rose three times faster than the number of over 50s. 9% of young Brazilians do not belong to a religious faith. The numbers of those abandoning the Church follow a similar trend.

The number of Brazilians joining the Catholic faith has fallen its lowest levels since 1872: 68% compared to 72, 5% in 2003. This haemorrhage in believers has hit the middle class in particular. Meanwhile, Pentecostal groups have grown and now account for 12, 8% of the population.

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