Religion
Main article: Religion in BrazilAbout 2/3 of the population are Roman Catholics. Catholicism was introduced and spread largely by the Portuguese Jesuits, who arrived in 1549 during the colonization with the mission of converting the Indigenous people. The Society of Jesus played a large role in the formation of Brazilian religious identity until their expulsion of the country by the Marquis of Pombal in the 18th century.
In recent decades Brazilian society has witnessed a rise in Protestantism. Between 1940 and 2010, the percentage of Roman Catholics fell from 95% to 64.6%, while the various Protestant denominations rose from 2.6% to 22.2%.
| Religion in Brazil | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | Percent | |||
| Roman Catholicism | 64.6% | |||
| Protestantism | 22.2% | |||
| No religion | 8.0% | |||
| Spiritism | 2.0% | |||
| Others | 3.2% | |||
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Brazil
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
“No, no; Religion is a Spring
That from some secret, golden Mine
Derives her birth, and thence doth bring
Cordials in every drop, and Wine;”
—Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)
“The true meaning of religion is thus, not simply morality, but morality touched by emotion.”
—Matthew Arnold (1822–1888)