Dois fatores de força do catolicismo brasileiro

Despite a steady decline, primarily driven by the significant rise of Evangelicalism, Catholicism has remained the largest religious tradition in Brazil, as evidenced by data from the 2022 Census. Rather than focusing on the vulnerability of Catholicism in an increasingly pluralistic religious landscape, this article examines specific mechanisms of resilience within this religious tradition. Thus, two factors are analyzed that have mitigated a more pronounced decline in Catholicism. The first, and most significant, is Marian devotion, specifically toward Our Lady of Aparecida; the second is youth devotion, especially as observed during World Youth Day. These two elements, we argue, reinforce the vitality of Brazilian Catholicism within the competitive landscape of salvific goods and contribute to the relative stabilization of the ongoing process of de-Catholicization over recent decades.

Keywords:
Catholicism; Marian devotion; Our Lady of Aparecida; Youth devotion; World Youth Day