The collapse of the Catholic Church

Credit: Instagram/aguavivaperu

Can it be scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m.? Thanks

Warmup behavior is similar to that of a K-Pop band. In half an hour, five young singers bounced on the stage and put on glittering Christian repertoire in the vast auditorium.

“You're always by my side even if I let you fail.” Croons, a man in a white coach, black jeans and a white T-shirt, flashed with the multi-color spotlights on the stage. A young woman sang: “A day in your home is worth more than 1,000 years.”

The Amauta Stadium in the heart of Lima, the Peruvian capital, once hosted everything from the Miss Universe pageant to the Rich Martin concert, perhaps only the third one.

But with a capacity of 20,000, this still means that this evangelical service attracted more friendly people than most Catholic churches in Latin America, and although most Catholic churches in Latin America sat in the Vatican in 2013 until his death, Catholicism dropped dramatically.

Eventually, the band made way for Carla Hornung, a slim blonde missionary in a flowing flower trousers suit. With a glittering smile, she avoids “identity” by acknowledging Christ and how to avoid “toxic thoughts, emotions and thoughts” preaching.

In a lecture filled with biblical references at the self-help lecture, Miss Hogan encouraged followers of Agua Viva, a new Pentecostal mega-church preaching an unabashed materialist “theology of prosperity” to recruit its “leadership” program.

At one point, when she urged the group to donate, her huge TV screen behind her display will have Agua Viva's bank account details and a QR code.

Similar scenes are not only on Sunday, but throughout the week in Protestant churches throughout Latin America, a region known as the most Catholic region in the world, but evangelicals have been rapidly attracting millions of converts for decades.

The numbers vary, and demographics are complex, but according to a major study by the Pew Research Center, only 69% of Latinos were identified as Catholic in 2013, down from 94% in the 1950s.

Due to population growth, the number of Catholics in all regions of the world, including Latin America, has actually increased over the past century. The total number rose from 1.39 billion in 2022 to 14.06 billion in 2023.

However, while other parts of Africa and Asia account for a big jump in the proportion of Catholics, the European numbers remained stagnant, and the church quickly lost its foundation in Latin America.

The Latin American trend was established before Pope Francis took office in 2013. Although his entire period in the Vatican continued until his universal touch and great popularity. His attempt to stop the slides and the lack of success is now part of his legacy.

Richard Wood, a sociologist at the University of Southern California, said the reasons are complex and rooted in rapid social changes, especially rural immigration to cities.

José Luis Pérez Guadalupe, a sociologist at the University of Lima, said the process is part of a global trend in religious diversity and the increasingly diverse non-religious beliefs.

“Semiticization in Latin America is different,” he added. “In Europe, it originates from reason. Here is cultural. The region remains the vast majority of Christians, thanks to the Catholic Church. In this sense, preaching the gospel is not a complete change. It's not like a transformation to Islam.”

Changes in attitudes toward social problems have also made Catholic institutions increasingly lose contact with many ordinary Latinos. In various countries such as Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, abortion and same-sex marriage have been legalized.

Meanwhile, the child sexual abuse scandal has caused losses to the legitimacy of the church. Beluvia journalist Paola Ugaz said that despite the hesitant start, there is no doubt that Pope Francis ended up dealing decisively with the clerical pedophile and probably prevented the issue.

Despite many very conservative clergy and lay leaders, the Catholic Church in Latin America may also suffer from associations with progressive causes, such as a focus on human rights and economic inequality.

“Morical courage, with the testimony of the archbishop as the basic human dignity,” including the sometimes unwelcome battles representing the poor and even democracy, has seen church figures, from bishops to nuns, especially in Central America, and especially in Central America, while also alienating some elites in the region.

Another reason is the relative lack of appointed pastors. “The bar is really high to be a Catholic priest,” he added. “You have to study theology for many years. There is celibacy, you have to be male. Not that much.”

But for evangelicals, becoming a missionary can be a quick, often informal process that largely boils down to “charm.” “The most important thing is, will the people in the church listen to you?”

However, given its previous near-complete dominance, the decline of Catholicism in Latin America may also be inevitable. Dr. Wood said that since the 16th century, when its position in the sword was established as a hegemonic belief, the only way was to collapse.

Protestant missionaries first began to break in the 19th century. These pioneers were mainly Presbyterians and Methodist churches, with strong social conscience. But since the 1960s, they have been replaced by others led by Pentecostalism, preaching a more conservative interpretation of the gospel.

Their message is often focused on personal progress, which is the desire for Latin American work, and the struggle of the lower middle class to escape or avoid poverty.

Many Pentecostals also participate in right-wing politics. This often includes pushing strong legal and order information and even demanding death sentences, which resonates in areas plagued by violent crime.

The church has responded in a number of ways, from the decisions of the 1960s to transform liturgy from Latin to the local language.

Catholic theologians are still debating how deeply the process of “cultivating” the process of integrating local culture into church rituals. One of the most sensitive areas is celibacy, especially in Africa, which can undermine respect for Catholic clergy.

Since the 1990s, people have also accepted that the church is too central in its thinking. Indeed, many pastors in today's developed countries come from developing countries.

At the same time, the trend of “charming” Catholicism is also growing. The movement has no clear structure or leadership, and has seen Catholic clergy borrow evangelical rituals including prayer meetings away from churches, faith rehabilitation and even speaking.

When they left Amauta Stadium, married couple Yheison Ventura and Susan Mayta managed a small swimming academy that explained what was and attracted Agua Viva.

Ms Mayta, 30, said: “It's more than missionaries. It's more direct. You make connections with it. In the Catholic Church, the pastor is farther away and a little like the boss. The ceremony is repeated. They're a little bored.”

Her 34-year-old husband added: “I really like the music here. It's exciting. I know the pope. I like him. He loves football. But that won't let me go to the Catholic Church.”

Now, the challenge of the church maintaining its relevance in the region may become steeper after the death of the first Latin American pope.

Dr. Wood said the next pope’s choice was more complex than the often portrayed, a struggle between Catholic liberalism and conservative strains.

He said: “As he often said, Francis' legacy is what the church is for everyone. He makes it more open and human. Can it be maintained now while feeling joyful in the gospel?”

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive apps, currency savings and more, free 1 month of telegram.