Catholic flock thinning in Latin America

The Catholic Church is definitely on the decline, and this is a very good thing. One of the most corrupt organizations in the history of mankind is dwindling in its popularity and followers. That it has taken this long is a testament to the gullibility of the masses. Yet, thanks to the internet, among other things, people have realized what this Church is all about; greed and hypocrisy. Playing on people’s feelings and using guilt has finally run its course. Hopefully the Catholic Church will be reduced to nothing by the end of this century, as the world will be a better place because of it… TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

AFP

Pope

Washington (AFP) – Although Argentine-born Pope Francis is largely popular in Latin America, the number of adults in the region who describe themselves as Catholic is falling, says a study published Thursday.

In a study of 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the US territory of Puerto Rico, the Pew Research Center said the Roman Catholic church is losing adherents to Protestant faiths or seeing them abandon organized religion altogether.

The study said that historical data suggest that from 1900 through the 1960s at least 90 percent of Latin America’s population was Catholic.

But today 69 percent of adults polled identified themselves as Catholic, the study said.

Latin America has more than 425 million Catholics, who account for nearly 40 percent of the world’s Catholic population, the center said.

But the number of people switching to other religions, mainly Protestant churches, is on the rise.

According to the report, 84 percent of today’s Latin American adults say they were raised as Catholics. That is 15 percentage points more than those who still call themselves Catholic.

At the same time, membership of Protestant churches and people who say they are not affiliated with any church are increasing.

Nine percent of Latin Americans say they were raised as Protestants, but almost one in five now call themselves Protestants.

“In nearly every country surveyed, the Catholic Church has experienced net losses from religious switching, as many Latin Americans have joined evangelical Protestant churches or rejected organized religion altogether,” the study said.

As to why Catholics are leaving the church, Pew said that of eight answers available in the poll, the most frequently chosen was that people were “seeking a more personal connection with God.”

The study said that in general Latin America has embraced the former Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit who was elected pope in March 2013 and took the name Francis.

In his native country, 91 percent of those polled have a favorable view of the pontiff. But that support is uneven across the region.

“Among former Catholics, relatively few give the pope a positive rating, with many saying it is too soon to rate him,” the study said.

“Similarly, while majorities of Catholics in most countries describe the election of Francis as representing a major change for the Catholic Church, this view is held by much smaller shares of former Catholics,” it added.

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