Roman Catholicism In South Africa
The Roman Catholic Church in South Africa is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are 26 dioceses and archdioceses, plus an apostolic vicariate.
There are approximately 3.3 million Catholics in South Africa - just over 6% of the total population. 2.7 million are of various black African ethnic groups, such as Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho. Coloured and white South Africans each account for roughly 300,000. Most white Catholics are English speaking, and the majority are descended from Irish immigrants. Many others are Portuguese settlers who left Angola and Mozambique after they became independent in the 1970s, or their children. The proportion of Catholics among White Afrikaans speakers, or South African Asians, who are mainly of Indian descent, is extremely small.
Read more about Roman Catholicism In South Africa: Catholic Church and Apartheid, People, Education, Sources
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