#religious-decline

#religious-decline

In the early 1960s, Catholic bishops from around the world met to update Church doctrine for a new era. Reforms made by the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as Vatican II, were meant to foster more inclusive congregations. The most famous allowed priests to celebrate Mass in languages other than Latin. Academics and certain Church insiders have long contended that Vatican II backfired and instead triggered a worldwide decline in Mass attendance.

The rise of gigantic religious statues in Brazil reflects a paradox where Catholicism is in decline, yet communities invest in imposing monuments to attract tourism.