Religious Practice in Latin America

Did you see the massive survey by the Pew Research Center on religion in Latin America? The region was over 90% Roman Catholic until the 1960s, but now it is 69%. Roughly one-in-four Nicaraguans and one-in-five Brazilians are former Catholics. The losses are mostly to evangelical Protestantism, but also to non-affiliation.

 

Of interest to readers of this blog will be the reasons former Catholics gave for abandoning Catholicism. Eight reasons were offered in the survey. Here are the top three answers:

  • seeking personal connection with God (81%)
  • enjoy style of worship at new church (69%)
  • wanted greater emphasis on morality (60%).

 

Pope Francis is wildly popular there. But as the report rightly points out, it’s too early to know how a “Francis effect” will influence any of these ongoing trends.

Anthony Ruff, OSB

Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, is a monk of St. John's Abbey. He teaches liturgy, liturgical music, and Gregorian chant at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary. He is widely published and frequently presents across the country on liturgy and music. He is the author of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform: Treasures and Transformations, and of Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter. He does priestly ministry at the neighboring community of Benedictine sisters in St. Joseph.

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8 responses to “Religious Practice in Latin America”

  1. Alan Hommerding

    I know one Brazilian family that is split nearly 50-50 Roman Catholic/Evangelical Protestant. The move was inaugurated largely by the “personal connection” phenomenon – in their area, at least, the Evangelical Protestant churches tend to include a large number of storefront churches, very involved in local community. When the family matriarch was in the hospital with breast cancer, it was the Protestant pastor who came to visit her; her parish priest said to call him “when she needed” him (LAST rites). The matriarch joined the Protestant congregation her son was attending. Personal connection with God via personal connection by the pastor.
    In terms of worship style, the Catholic Masses I attended were OF, but very much assembly-passive. When our Brazilian visitors have attended Mass here, they are amazed by how much singing and participation the assembly gets to do.

    Reply
  2. Peter Kwasniewski

    Anyone who knows what happened with the Novus Ordo in South America can tell you why Catholics are disgusted with their worship. All the dramatic flair, pathos, beauty, and mysticism are gone from it, the things that so appeal to the human psyche. Now that modern culture is at an all-time low, it’s hardly surprising that pop entertainment will rush in to fill the emotional void. The following article, written by a native of Colombia, is a sober critique of contemporary Roman Catholic worship there:
    http://www.ccwatershed.org/blog/2014/feb/28/why-church-dying-latin-america/

    Reply
    1. Todd Flowerday

      @Peter Kwasniewski – comment #2:
      I suppose it makes sense that Latin American Catholics are so upset with the loss of Latin that they are flocking to P&W conducted by Protestants. It couldn’t possibly be that many communities go months without a celebration of the Eucharist.

      Reply
    2. Gerard Flynn

      @Peter Kwasniewski – comment #2:
      “All the dramatic flair, pathos, beauty, and mysticism are gone from it, the things that so appeal to the human psyche.”

      On the one hand, if it’s entertainment you are looking for, perhaps you are looking in the wrong place. A good book or a night at the opera might be more fulfilling.

      On the other, if you’re happy to use the word ‘disgusting’ in relation to contemporary liturgy, including, presumably, the Eucharist, perhaps you are looking for the wrong thing.

      Reply
  3. Jordan Zarembo

    Todd’s right on. This isn’t an issue of aesthetics, altar orientation, or Latin. It’s about feeding the faithful on the Eucharist as often as possible. If a priest arrives in a remote village four days a year to say Mass, then it’s not surprising that a preacher who arrives in the village more often will attract followers. The preacher has more “face time” with the villagers. He/she will also be present for life cycle events more often than the priest. It’s no wonder that evangelical Christianity has overtaken Catholicism in some areas of Latin America.

    I also wonder if South American evangelical Christianity is more willing to incorporate African-Caribbean religions (i.e. Candomble in Brazil) into their worship. I realize that certain aspects of African-Caribbean religion are not compatible with Catholicism. Still it’s plausible that some Catholics might leave the Church given that Catholicism cannot accommodate a higher level of syncretism.

    Reply
    1. Alan Hommerding

      @Jordan Zarembo – comment #4:
      Well, if you want syncretism, go the apartment of the “matriarch” from my story – – she’s now an avowed Protestant, but you’ll find Madonnas wrapped in rosaries, smoke sticks in front of pictures of the deceased, rosewater bowls by the pictures of her grandchildren, and Bibles everywhere to make the preacher happy. I saw a fair amount of the smoke stick/rosewater kinds of indigenous items all over the Catholic churches I was in. Along with people doing those devotions while Mass was going on.

      Reply
  4. Fr. Jack Feehily

    Is it not a form of arrogance to claim that because huge numbers of Latinos are leaving the RC church that “the church” is in decline? Catholic hierarchs have refused for centuries to address the problem of providing sufficient and well trained priests to serve such a huge population. When people are starving spiritually they will respond readily to those who come to offer nourishment. Evangelical Protestants and Pentecostals have offered them a rich fare of God’s Word and they are eating it up. Everyone knows that the Latino cultures do not value the practice of unmarried men leading the church. If ordination to the priesthood continues to be closed to mature married men, we can kiss the RC church goodbye in LA.

    Reply
  5. Brian Culley

    I certainly found the dramatic flair at a mass last evening in Medellin, Colombia. The celebrant lead the charasmatic music with piped in background music. He did a bit of a dance at both the 4 minute alleluia and the holy,holy -after which all the lights except the altar cadets went off until the acclamation of faith. The first part of the homily was a song he sang to the congregation, the rest was short, very positive and accompanied with background music that rose in volume when Father was making his main points (thanks to a switch on the altar from behind which he sang and preached).
    No lack of dramatic flair here! He seemed well connected with the congregation who worshiped in what looked like a converted garden shed of a big box store. He ended by offering for sale his cd of music and preaching for advent at a bargain price.

    Reply

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