Latino Roman Catholic membership decreasing

NEW YORK (AP):

Latinos in the United States (US) are abandoning the Roman Catholicism of their childhood in increasing numbers to become evangelical Protestants or leave organised religion altogether, according to a new survey released yesterday.

Only 55 per cent of the nation's Latinos consider themselves Catholic, a 12 percentage point drop since 2010. Of those who remain in the church, slightly more said they could imagine leaving than they have in previous years. At the same time, the share of Hispanic evangelicals rose from 12 per cent to 16 per cent, while Latinos with no religious affiliation increased from 10 per cent to 18 per cent.

Changing identities

The Pew Research Center report, The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States, is based on a 2013 survey of more than 5,100 adults and points to the challenges ahead for the US church, whose fortunes are inextricably linked to the growth of the Hispanic population.