Michael Brooks
The Catholic Church in North America is facing a number of challenges, including the rise of other religions, secular thinking, and cultural influences from the United States. The Church is responding with modern marketing campaigns promoting the Pope's visits and addressing issues such as immigration, drug trafficking, and human rights. Historically, the United States incorporated territories with a Catholic history, such as New France and New Spain, and the country has a long tradition of Catholic exploration and colonization, including the founding of Maryland by Catholics. Today, the Catholic population in the U.S. is diverse, with varying racial and ethnic backgrounds, political affiliations, and educational levels. Mexico is the second-largest Catholic nation, and Quebec, Canada, also has a significant Catholic presence, although it has become more secular in recent decades.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Countries with Catholic Presence | United States, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Canada |
| Historical Catholic Territories | Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Louisiana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, North Dakota |
| US States with Place Names Referencing Catholic Saints | California, Texas, New Mexico, Florida |
| US Cities with Place Names Referencing Catholic Saints | St. Louis, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, St. Charles |
| US Cities Visited by Pope Paul VI | New York City |
| US Cities Visited by Pope John Paul II | Boston, New York |
| US Cities with Large Catholic Population | New York, São Paulo, Mexico City |
| US States with Large Catholic Population | South (29%), Northeast (26%), West (25%), Midwest (20%) |
| Racial and Ethnic Makeup of US Catholics | White (47%), Hispanic (45%), Asian (10%) |
| Age Distribution of US Catholics | 50 and older (58%), 65 and older (14-39%) |
| Educational Attainment of US Catholics | Bachelor's degree (35%), Some college experience (27%), High school education or less (38%) |
| Political Affiliation of US Catholics | Republican (53%), Democratic (43%) |
| Opinion on Abortion | Legal in most cases (35%), Legal in all cases (25%), Illegal in most cases (26%), Illegal in all cases (13%) |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic demographics in North America
The Catholic Church considers North America crucial due to its status as a global superpower with a large Catholic population. Mexico is the second-largest Catholic country in the world. The Catholic Church has begun grouping North America with Latin and Central America as one America, facing common issues such as extreme wage gaps, immigration, drug trafficking, human rights, consumerism, and secular thinking. The Church is particularly concerned about the loss of Catholic faith across the Americas, including in New York, São Paulo, and Mexico City.
Historically, the United States incorporated territories with a Catholic history under their previous governance by New France and New Spain, the two premier European Catholic powers active in North America. The French and Spanish named many settlements after Catholic saints, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and St. Louis. Maryland, founded by Catholic Lord Baltimore, was the first 'non-denominational' colony accommodating Catholics. The number of Catholics surged in the 1840s with the arrival of German, Irish, and other European Catholics. After 1890, Italians and Poles formed the largest groups of new Catholics.
In the present day, Catholics tend to be older than the general American population, with nearly six in ten Catholic adults (58%) aged 50 and older. The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies by region. For example, in the Midwest, 78% of Catholics are White and 15% are Hispanic, while in the West, there are more Hispanic Catholics (45%) than White Catholics (44%). More than one-third of U.S. Catholics (35%) have a bachelor's degree. About half of Catholic registered voters (53%) identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, and partisan affiliation varies by race and ethnicity. While the Catholic Church opposes abortion, 59% of Catholics believe it should be legal.
In Canada, the French established an early presence, but they were gradually overtaken by the English. The Quebec Act of 1774 guaranteed the rights of Canadian Catholics, but it also contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolution. The Catholic community in Canada was strengthened in the 1790s by the arrival of priests fleeing the French Revolution. However, since the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, the influence and power of the Catholic Church in Quebec have declined, and Catholicism is now seen as more cultural than religious.
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Catholic influence in the United States
Catholicism has had a significant influence on the cultural and political landscape of the United States. The religion has been historically associated with left-wing politics and the Democratic Party. Since the 1970s, Catholics have often been regarded as swing voters, with their political affiliations varying by race and ethnicity. In terms of demographics, Catholics are spread out relatively evenly across the US, with roughly 29% in the South, 26% in the Northeast, 25% in the West, and 20% in the Midwest.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population in the US varies by region. For example, in the Midwest, 78% of Catholics are White and 15% are Hispanic, while in the Northeast, 72% are White and 20% are Hispanic. The US has also experienced a wave of modern Catholic immigration from countries such as the Philippines, Poland, and Latin America, including Mexico and Central America. This diversity has influenced the conduct of Catholicism in the country, with many dioceses offering Mass in multiple languages, including Latin.
The Catholic Church considers North America crucial due to its status as a global superpower with a large Catholic population. However, the Church faces the challenge of reversing the cultural influences of the US to maintain its level of Catholicity. This includes the rise of religions originating in the US, such as Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, and Protestant evangelical churches, which are influencing countries like Mexico and spreading to Latin America.
The Vatican has attempted to address this through modern mass marketing campaigns that promote the Pope's visits and condemn aspects of modern society. The first Pope to visit the Americas was Pope Paul VI, who, on October 4, 1965, spent 13.5 hours in New York City. During his visit, he addressed topics such as disarmament in the nuclear age and human rights. Subsequently, Pope John Paul II made the first papal visit to Canada in 1984, focusing on a "reconquest" of Mexico as a bridge between the different nations in the Americas.
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Catholic influence in Canada
The Catholic Church has a significant influence on Canada, with 29.4% of Canadians (approximately 10.8 million people) adhering to the religion as of 2021. This makes it the largest denomination of Christianity in the country. The Catholic Church's influence in Canada dates back to 1497 when John Cabot claimed Newfoundland for England while also recognising the religious authority of the Catholic Church.
Historically, the Catholic Church in Canada has been predominantly French-speaking, and the province of Quebec was once dominated by the Church. The Church held sweeping influence over schools, healthcare, and politics in Quebec. However, this changed during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, when the provincial government reduced the Church's power by taking control of education and healthcare. As a result, church attendance among Quebec's Catholics decreased significantly.
In the 19th century, there were tensions between French and Irish Catholics in Canada, with the Irish collaborating with Protestants and opposing French-language Catholic schools. The Irish Catholics were favoured by the Vatican due to their "ultramontane" adherence to the Pope. This conflict over language and culture transformed into a religious divide, with Regulation 17 in Ontario restricting the use of French as a language of instruction in schools. This regulation was among the reasons why French Canada distanced itself from the war effort during World War I.
The Catholic Church in Canada is decentralised, with each diocesan bishop autonomous but under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. There are currently 73 dioceses and about 7,000 priests in the country. On a typical Sunday, between 15 and 25 percent of Canada's Catholics attend Mass.
In summary, the Catholic Church has had a significant historical influence in Canada, particularly in Quebec and among the French-speaking population. While the Church's influence has waned in recent decades due to secularisation and internal conflicts, it remains the largest Christian denomination in the country, with millions of adherents.
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Catholic influence in Mexico
Mexico is the second-largest Catholic nation in the world, with approximately 78% of its population identifying as Catholic. The history of the Catholic Church in Mexico dates back to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521. During this period, the Spanish conquistadors used forced conversion, violence, and destruction to subjugate the indigenous people. They destroyed symbols of indigenous religions and replaced them with Catholic imagery, building churches on top of destroyed temples. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors marked the beginning of the "spiritual conquest", as the Catholic Church made a concerted effort to evangelize the indigenous population.
In the early sixteenth century, the growth of the Spanish and mixed-race urban population in Mexico led to the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy under the patronage of the monarch. This was followed by the creation of dioceses in Mexico. During the colonial period, also known as New Spain, the Catholic Church played a significant role in the fight against slavery, with Bartolome de las Casas leading the movement. Another priest, Miguel de Hidalgo, issued the first call for Mexican independence.
In the nineteenth century, Mexico gained independence and established a legal framework that continued the privileged status of the Catholic Church as the official and unique religion. However, during La Reforma from 1855 to 1861, there was political discord between Mexican liberals who implemented anti-clerical laws and conservatives who sought to maintain the privileges of the Church. The triumph of the liberals in 1867 resulted in the Catholic Church losing its exclusive standing, and the Mexican State ceased to assert control over its patronage.
In 1876, Liberal general Porfirio Diaz became president and pursued a conciliation policy with the Catholic Church. He left the anti-clerical laws in place but did not enforce them due to the influence of his devout Catholic wife, Carmen Romero Rubio. During Diaz's rule, the Church's influence in Mexico increased significantly. Institutional reforms included administrative reorganization, improved training of the laity, expansion of the Catholic press, and the growth of the Church's influence in rural areas.
In modern times, the Catholic Church in Mexico faces the challenge of cultural influences from the United States, including the spread of religions such as Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, and Protestant evangelical churches. Additionally, the loss of Catholic faith is a common issue across the Americas, including Mexico City. Despite these challenges, Mexico remains a predominantly Catholic country, with many Mexicans practicing a unique version of Catholicism that incorporates pre-Hispanic traditions.
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Catholic influence in Central and Latin America
The Catholic Church considers North America crucial due to its status as a global superpower with a large Catholic population. The Church recognises the influence of the United States on the region and is attempting to counter this influence to maintain the current level of Catholicity. The Catholic Church groups North, Central, and Latin America as one America, with common issues including extreme wage gaps, immigration, drug trafficking, human rights, consumerism, and secular thinking.
The Catholic Church in Latin America began with the Spanish and Portuguese colonisation of the Americas and continues to the present day. Roman Catholicism is the major religion of nearly every country in Latin America, largely due to the lingering effects of colonisation and the Catholic missions that accompanied them. These missions served as tools for the suppression of Indigenous peoples, forcing the adoption of the Spanish or Portuguese language, Western dress, and a Europeanised agricultural lifestyle. However, some Catholic missionaries acted as advocates for the Indigenous peoples, defending their rights and opposing their enslavement.
The Aztec and Inca civilisations both used religion to support their authority, which made it easy for Spanish conquistadors to replace native religious structures with Catholicism. During the colonial period, Catholic missionaries also worked to educate the Indigenous peoples about Spanish cultural expectations, social customs, and political organisation. The Catholic Church was one of the largest landowners in most Latin American countries and held immense power and influence.
In the present day, the Catholic Church still holds significant influence in Latin American society. The majority of Latin Americans are Christians (90%), most of whom are Catholics belonging to the Latin Church. The Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana in Bolivia, the Virgin Caridad del Cobre in Cuba, and Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil are examples of the mixing of Catholicism with local customs in Latin America.
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Frequently asked questions
Mexico has the second-largest Catholic population in the world.
Catholics are spread out relatively evenly across the US. Roughly 29% live in the South, 26% in the Northeast, 25% in the West, and 20% in the Midwest.
The Catholic Church has identified the spread of religions like Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, and Protestant evangelical churches as reasons for the loss of Catholic faith in North America.
The central leadership body of the Catholic Church in the United States is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, made up of the hierarchy of bishops (including archbishops) of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
