A new survey shows that -- despite the ascension of the charismatic Argentine Pope Francis to the Holy See -- Catholicism in Latin America is still on the decline, the Christian Today (British) website reports today (April 17, 2014).
Chile-based pollster Latinobarometro released data yesterday showing that only 67 percent of Latin Americans identified as Catholics in 2013, compared to 80 percent in 1995.
Latinobarometro said: "In the recent data we don't see an impact in the number of Catholics following the arrival of Pope Francis at the head of the Church." However, they qualified the statement, saying that it was too early in the new pontificate to detect new trends in things like church attendance or religious affiliation.
"Latin Americans embrace another religion when they abandon Catholicism," Latinobarometro said. Vibrant and energetic services have been attracting large numbers to charismatic evangelical Protestant churches -- a stark contrast to the more traditional and sombre style of service seen in most Catholic churches.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment