‘Yes’ to God, but ‘no’ to church – what religious change looks like for many Latin Americans

A woman takes part in a Christ of May procession in Santiago, Chile, parading a relic from a destroyed church's crucifix through the city. AP Photo/Esteban Felix

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.