In a region known for its tumultuous change, one idea remained remarkably consistent for centuries: Latin America is Catholic.
The region’s 500-year transformation into a Catholic stronghold seemed capped in 2013, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the first Latin American pope. Once a missionary outpost, Latin America is now the heart of the Catholic Church. It is home to over 575 million adherents – over 40% of all Catholics worldwide. The next-largest regions are Europe and Africa, each home to 20% of the world’s Catholics.
Yet beneath this Catholic dominance, the region’s religious landscape is changing.
