|
The Roman Catholic Church in Brazil is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the very influential Brazilian Conference of Bishops ((ポルトガル語:Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil - CNBB)), composed by over 400 primary and auxiliary bishops and archbishops. There are over 250 dioceses and other territorial jurisdictions in Brazil. The primate of Brazil is Dom Murilo Ramos Krieger. Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination in the country, where 130 million people, or 64.6% of the Brazilian population, are self-declared Catholics.〔(). censo 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2012.〕 These figures makes Brazil the single country with the largest Roman Catholic community in the world.〔("Factfile: Roman Catholics around the world" ). BBC. April 1, 2005〕〔Country Studies. ("Brazil - Roman Catholicism" ). source: Rex A. Hudson, ed. ''Brazil: A Country Study''. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1997.〕〔Scalon, Maria Celi. ("Catholics and Protestants in Brazil" ). ''America Magazine''. August 18, 2003.〕 ==History== (詳細はMass celebrated in Brazil took place on Easter Sunday of the year 1500.It was celebrated by a priest who arrived in the country along with the Portuguese explorers to claim possession of the newfound land. However, the first diocese in Brazil was only erected more than 50 years later, in 1551. Brazil's strong Catholic heritage can be traced to the Iberian missionary zeal, with the 15th-century goal of spreading Christianity. The Church missions began to hamper the government policy of exploiting Natives. In 1782 the Jesuits were suppressed, and the government tightened its control over the Church. Catholicism was enforced during colonial rule, then in 1824 became the official religion of an independent Brazil that also guaranteed freedom of religion for its citizens. The Brazilian government has been secular since the Constitution of 1891, though the Church remained extremely politically influential until nowadays. In the late 19th century, the Catholic population of Iberian origin was reinforced by a large number of Italian Catholics who immigrated to Brazil, as well as some Polish and German Catholic immigrants. In 1889 Brazil became a republic and approved a constitution separating the Church from the State, a trend followed by all of the country's seven republican constitutions.〔 Prior to that, during the Empire of Brazil, Catholicism was the official religion of the country.〔(“Facts about Roman Catholicism: Brazil” ). Encyclopædia Britannica.〕 In practice, however, separation of Church and state in the country is very weak; government officials generally avoid taking action that may offend the Church.〔 A recent example of the Church's influence over political questions was the change conducted by the federal government in the Third National Program of Human Rights in regard to its proposal to legalize abortion, after pressure from the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops.〔Agência Brasil. (“Para CNBB, mudanças no PNDH 3 revelam sensibilidade” ). ''iG Último Segundo''. May 13, 2010.〕 That particular change, along with others, was denounced by the Amnesty International.〔pndh3.com.br. (“Anistia Internacional expõe preocupação com mudança no PNDH-3” ). Communist Party of Brazil. May 29, 2010.〕 Nevertheless, the government kept issues that upset the Church in the Program, such as its support for same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption.〔 In the late 20th century the Church's liberation theology movement, which focuses on the poor as the primary recipients of Christ's message, helped in the quest for social justice.〔Almeida, Rodrigo. (“Benedict XVI in Brazil: raising the Catholic flag” ). Open Democracy. May 8, 2007.〕 The church organized Ecclesiastical Base Communities throughout the country to work for social and political causes at the local level.〔 Despite the support of the higher clergy to the military, the progressive wing managed to make the Church practically the only legitimate focus of resistance and defense of basic human rights during military rule.〔 When then Cardinal Ratzinger became responsible for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he launched a successful campaign against the liberation theology,〔 and the conservative wing of the Church gained power. Catholics then saw the rise of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, as a way to counter the rapid growth of Pentecostal Protestantism in the country.〔 According to Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, “pentecostalism no longer is something confined outside the Roman Catholic Church, it is now firmly within the form of various charismatic tendencies and movements”.〔 During his five-day visit to Brazil on May 2007 Pope Benedict XVI canonized Frei Galvão, who became the first Brazilian-born saint. Both the Pope's visit and the canonisation aimed at reinvigorating the local church.〔(“Pope names Brazil's first saint” ). BBC. May 11, 2007.〕 Brazil was also the first foreign country visited by Benedict's successor Pope Francis.〔http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21581991-promise-and-peril-papal-visit-earthly-concerns Religion in Brazil: Earthly concerns〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Roman Catholicism in Brazil」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|