All seven nations in the study have large Catholic populations, including Brazil (the largest in the world with 106.3 million), Mexico (second-largest at 91.2 million) and the U.S. (fourth-largest with 67 million).
In addition, the six Latin American countries surveyed account for roughly three-quarters of the region’s Catholics.
Throughout Christian tradition, birth control had long been associated with promiscuity and adultery.
However, after the Anglican Church passed a resolution in favor of birth control at its 1930 Lambeth Conference, other Protestant denominations followed suit.
Nevertheless, the Catholic Church has held fast to its opposition. In 1968, Pope Paul VI signed “Humanae vitae,” a papal encyclical that restated the church’s opposition to artificial contraception.
In addition, Catholicism — unlike some other Christian denominations — does not allow women to be clergy or for priests to marry.
Last December, Pope Francis approved allowing Catholic clergy to bless individuals in same-sex marriages — issuing a document on Monday detailing the change in the Vatican’s policy — as long as it doesn’t resemble a marriage ceremony.
The document unleashed controversy across the Catholic world and even pushback from prelates, mostly in the United States and Africa.
Mixed views on Pope Francis
In addition to doctrine and potential changes, the survey also went into Francis’ popularity.
In every country surveyed, approximately two-thirds or more of Catholics had a favorable view of this pope — including 88% in Colombia and 84% in Brazil.
Nonetheless, Pope Francis’ favorability ratings are lower now than they were more than a decade ago after he was made pope in March 2013.
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Publish date : 2024-09-26 21:31:00
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