Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Synod of Bishops concerned with growth of Protestant movements in Latin America

Vatican: Priestly formation key to understanding mass

VATICAN CITY (AP) - A senior Brazilian cardinal on Saturday lamented the rapid growth of Protestant movements in Latin America and wondered aloud how much longer the continent could be called Roman Catholic.

The comments by Cardinal Claudio Hummes to the Synod of Bishops reflected increasing concern in the church about the competition for souls in Latin America and Africa.

Hummes cited Brazilian government and church statistics that found that Brazil's Catholics, who represented about 90 per cent of the country's population during the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council, had fallen to 83 per cent in 1991 and 67 per cent today.

At the same time, for every Catholic priest in Brazil, there are now two Protestant ministers, he said, according to a summary of his remarks released by the Vatican.

"We ask ourselves with anxiety: how much longer will Brazil be a Catholic country?" Hummes said. "Many indications say the same is true for all of Latin America, and also here we ask ourselves: How long will Latin America be a Catholic continent?"

Pope Benedict has spoken out on a few occasions about the threats to the Catholic faith posed by Protestant groups, including on the first day of the conclave that elected him pope.

During a homily April 18 in which he denounced the "dictatorship of relativism" in the world, he cited the groups as well as Marxism, liberalism, atheism and agnosticism as threats to the fundamental truths of the church.

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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 8:52 PM