Latin America Archives

Expert sees focus under Francis on Latin American martyrs like Romero
- Interviews
- September 23, 2017
Martyrdom in which a Christian is killed by a non-Christian is usually clear. The Christian is killed by someone because of their faith or because they refuse to renounce their faith. Large numbers of lay catechists, women religious, deacons, and priests were killed in various Latin American countries over the past few decades. In these cases, the people murdering them claimed to be Catholic. Can they still be martyrs?
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Up and down Latin America, it’s been a busy week in Catholic news
- Global Church
- September 19, 2017
Although the Church in Latin America, just like the rest of the developed world, seems to be losing both numbers and its hold on national affairs steadily with every year that passes, it’s still the most Catholic zone on the global map, and there’s never any shortage of Church happenings “south of the border.” Here’s a round-up of what’s been going on lately in Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Brazil.
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The 11 sisters of Siervas are a rock band like ‘nun’ other
- Associated Press, Church in the US
- September 18, 2017
The Siervas, who come from eight countries and range in age from 20s to 40s, insist they aren’t rock stars. But they certainly act the part when on stage performing to the electric guitar, steady drumbeat and catchy lyrics, uniformly smiling as silver crosses dangle from their necks.
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Francis to Latin American Church: Look to youth, women & laity

In an address to the leaders of Latin America’s continent-wide church council, CELAM, Pope Francis urged them to take forward Aparecida’s ‘continental mission’ by expanding the role of young people, women and lay people. Only well-formed lay believers could rise to the continent’s challenges.

Pope’s trip to Colombia unlikely to stem flight from pews

Four of every 10 Catholics worldwide reside in Latin America, yet in countries like Uruguay, Cuba and parts of Central America, they are no longer a majority, according to the Pew Research Center. Evangelical Christians now make up 15 percent of the population in Colombia, where Pope Francis is set to visit September 6 – 11.

Musings on Pope Francis’s Colombia trip, baseball, and churchmen

Since Pope Francis is making his fifth trip to Latin America this week, this time to Colombia, it got me thinking about similarities between Catholicism and baseball, one of which is that both are big south of the border. Here, I offer my personal list of the Top Five most important churchmen from Colombia, and which big-leaguers they most bring to mind.