Catholicism has been in collapse in Latin America since the aftermath of Vatican II -- but it went into vertiginous tailspin in the pontificate of the Pope from Argentina.
We have often covered this in Rorate.
For instance, right after the election of Francis, in 2014, in the long post "THE COLLAPSE OF CATHOLICISM IN LATIN AMERICA:New Poll, Statistics, Tables and Graphs - Extensive Analysis", as well as in "The Latin American Exodus: Catholics become Protestants in Droves".
Now, the most credible research institute on religious trends, the Pew Research Center, has released a new study specifically dealing with the Bergoglian Pontificate: "Catholicism Has Declined in Latin America Over the Past Decade."
The results are nothing short of terrifying: during the Francis years, Catholicism became a minority religion in both Brazil (the largest nation in the region and the most populous Catholic country for decades) and in Chile, and declined everywhere. The collapse also accelerated in Francis' own Argentina, though it was not as steep in Leo XIV's adopted Peru.
One third of Brazilians are now Protestants -- and we know the collapse in Catholicism was not caused by a lack of faith: vast majorities still believe in God:
