Francis-Collapse of Catholicism in Latin America

Rorate Caeli ^ | January 22, 2026 | New Catholic

[ebb tide]

Francis-Collapse of Catholicism in Latin America

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:

But, as Catholicism became identified with leftist ideologies and pagan practices (both indigenous and pseudo-African), the local bishops claimed to have a "preferential option for the poor" -- while the poor themselves opted for Protestantism.

All in all, a Vatican II Disaster, as so many others since that godforsaken Council.

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TOPICS: Catholic; History
KEYWORDS: catholic; conciliarchurch; frankenchurch; morepopenews; newpentecost; newspringtime; sinnodalchurch; vcii

[ebb tide]

All in all, a Vatican II Disaster, as so many others since that godforsaken Council.

[ebb tide]

Ping

[TexasFreeper2009]

it’s sad that the Catholic church made up the whole saint thing to make 3rd worlders happy that had previously been polytheistic. But they ended up losing them anyway trying to chase the woke, homo’s and commies.

[JesusIsLord]

The stats don’t show so much Catholics turning to Catholicism as much as to ‘not affiliated’.

[Apparatchik]

Francis, the pope from South America, decimates Catholicism in South America.

Now it’s Leo, the pope from North America, to take his turn.

[ebb tide]

"Catholics turning to Catholicism"

????

What are you talking about?

[ClarityGuy]

I’ll never forget how the Argentine lowlife treated His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI posthumously.

[ebb tide]

Yes, that was both disgusting and shameful.

[JesusIsLord]

Reread my comment. It doesn’t say what you think it says. The point I make is that the movement to ‘not religiously affiliated’ represents a greater percentage than a move to Protestantism .