Catholic Church in Latin America

The Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Aparecida, Brazil It is the second largest church in the world, after St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
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The Cathedral of Quito, constructed between 1562 and 1567, is regarded as the oldest cathedral in South America.

The Catholic Church in Latin America began with the Spanish colonization of the Americas and continues up to the present day.

In the later part of the 20th century, however, the rise of Liberation theology has challenged such close alliances between church and state. Pope Francis has embraced many elements of liberation theology, especially the dedication of the Church to the poor and marginalized. In comparison to Europe and other Western nations, the Catholic Church still has a major influence in Latin American society.

The vast majority of Latin Americans are Christians (90%),[1] mostly Catholics belonging to the Latin Church.[2] In 2012 Latin America constitutes, in absolute terms, the world's second largest Christian population; after Europe.[3]

  1. ^ "Christians". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. December 18, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  2. ^ "CIA – The World Factbook – Field Listing – Religions". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  3. ^ "The Global Religious Landscape" (PDF). Pewforum.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 25, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.