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resembling group exorcisms and welcome congregants who speak in tongues. These practices are not widely accepted in the Roman Catholic establishment but the charismatic movement seems to have attracted In the 2010 census 64.6% of the population said they were Roman Catholic, 22.2% as Protestant, 8% as non religious , and 5.2% as followers of other religions (mostly Spiritists or Kardecists who follow the doctrines of Allan Kardec, Umbandists, Candomblers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons , and minorities of Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and other groups). Brazilian religions are diversified and inclined to syncretism. In recent decades, there has been a great increase of Neo-Pentecostal churches and a thriving of Afro-Brazilian religions, which have decreased the number of members of the Roman Catholic Church. The key finding from the research was that the number of people under 20 years who say they follow no religion was growing three times faster than among those over 50, with 9 percent of young Brazilians saying they belong to no religion. Pope Francis will be travelling to Rio de Janeiro in July on his first trip abroad as pontiff, in part to try to reverse the exodus from Catholicism. Pentecostalism was introduced to Latin America by U.S. missionaries a century ago. With their vibrant preaching, emotional prayer and singing, evangelical Protestant churches appeal to Brazilians more than the liturgical masses of the Catholic Church. They 10 Their churches have multiplied and become wealthy institutions that own radio and television networks, finance political campaigns and even fund political parties. This has resulted in a movement seeking to invigorate Catholic services with the kind of liveliness that parishioners often find at other churches. A report by New York Times shows that there are priests who belong to what is called Brazil’s Charismatic Catholic Renovation. These priests are very popular especially with young people. Father Marcello Rossi from São Paulo was the first to become a national star and in a certain way he and others like him became a sort of social phenomenon in Brazil. His records often top the bestseller lists, his latest book Agape has already sold more than 5 million copies in Brazil. Father Fabio Melo also attracts enormous masses of people to his Masses and Catholic musical shows. Some Catholic priests in the country now perform liberation Masses electronic and social media more effectively to proselytize also use many worshipers in the country. The other challenge facing the Catholic Church in Brazil is secularism that is making rapid inroads among Brazilian youth. 17 percent of Brazilians today were born Catholic but have subsequently left the Church. In 7 January, 1890 the Provisional Government in Brazil issued a decree proclaiming the separation of Church and state guaranteeing freedom of worship, and declaring that no church thereafter should be subsidized by the government, nor in any way receive support either from the federal government or from those of the individual States. As Pope Francis travels to Brazil, he will be visiting the country of Dom Helder Camara (1909 – 1999); a Brazilian archbishop who like him was deeply connected to the poor; shunning the material trappings of the Church. Camara is famous of his statement famously quoted by Pope Francis; “If I give food to the poor they call me a saint. If I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” Pope Francis visit to Brazil for this year’s World Youth Day will serve as a test of how far the Vatican’s relationship with Brazilians has evolved in the country amidst all these challenges facing the Church in Latin and South America.
Brazilian
By Cynthia Okong’o Brazilians are highly enthusiastic football fans which is the most popular sport. They literally eat, drink and sleep football. It’s not by chance that Ronaldinho dribbled the ball so well in Barcelona; kaka from Sao Paulo went directly to Inter Milan and became a superstar, Roberto Carlos scored unique free kicks, while Ronaldo shined with FIFA trophies as the top scorers. It’s particularly apt that Brazil will be hosting the 2014 FIFA world cup as the nation currently holds record of victories in this tournament of an impressive time. Brazil is the only country or national team that has qualified for every single world cup competition since the inception of the tournament. The national team is coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari and captained by Thiago Silva.. Pele remains the top scorer for the team while Cafu enjoys most caps. Samba boys raised the 2013 Confederations Cup curtains by thrashing the hapless Japanese 3 –0. It was Brazil’s sixth consecutive appearance at the Confederations Cup. Women’s football has also gathered an increasing share of interest in Brazil. The country’s string of successes in volleyball since the mid-20th century has made i B'&???( ?26V6??B??7B?V?"7?'B?'&???( ?2&V6?W2&RvF?W&??r?6W2f?"??V?rV??Rv????f??F&???Bf&??W2&6?WBv?W2?'&????6?????2?b&V6?f??F&???Bf???W?&??G&w2F??W6?G2?b7V7FF?'2?BFV?Wf?6???6?fW&vR?'Bg&??6?66W"?'&????2?6?vV?????v?f?"6&??f??B6?&??fV?&??&???F?6R?F?R6&??f??2G&F?F????6??&??F????b&???6F???2fW7F?f?v?F?F?R?fV?6V?V'&F???2?bV??R?bg&?6??6W7G'??B?2FW&?fVBg&??F?Rv?&B6&?V?Wf&R?v??6??FW&??G&?6?FW2F?( ?&V??f??b?VN( ??6V?V'&FVBWfW'??V"?CbF?2&Vf?&RF?RV7FW"fW7F?f??F?R&??G2?bF?RfW7F?f?&R&V?WfVBF?&R??F?RG&F?F????b&???6F???72v?V?F?W?'7F??VBg&???VB?B?6??????6W'F??F?22?WF??BF?G&?fRv?&B??V?? *?????2?b'&???2g&??F?Rv?&???r?B?FF?R6?72f??B6?6???WF?WB??F?R6&??f?&W&F???3?F?W?7V?BF?V?"?V?7W&RF??R&W&??rf?"F?R??V?7F?f?F?W2?B6??WF?F???2?b6&??f???6??6??VB6?&66????2?W66??2FR6?&??v??6???5T?EU$P?gV?7F???26???V??G?6?V'2?B?V?v?&?W&???B6V?G&W2?&?F?6???G&V??BGV?G2w&?W??RWF?R6WfW&?F??W6?BF?6W'2?B?W6?6??2?bV6?6?&66??????B???&R??f??fVB??6??7G'V7F??rf??G2?B????rV?&?&FR6?7GV?W2?F??W6?G2?bV??R?gFV?vV&??r?6?2?B6???W&gV?6?7GV?W2F?6RF?F?R&VG2?bG'V?2?B?W6?2?6?&&V??rF?R??7B&Wf?V?Bf?&??bF?6??r?W&R????"&FRv?F?&VWF?gV??G&W76VB6?&F?6W'2F?FV6?&FVB??f??rfV??6?Rv?W2F?&?Vv?F?R7FF?V?2?V?G&VG2?bV??R????F?R&FR2?B??W2?G2v????'&?????W6?2?vW2?V6??b?G2&??F??F?g&?6?F?R6?V?G'??2vV?????v?f?"F?R&??F??2?fV??W72?b?G2?W6?22???G26?&?W6?2?F??2?2?&vV?&V6W6R'&????6?fR?v?W'2???vVBF?V?"6?fW2F?6??F??VRF?V?"?W&?FvR?b????rG'V?2?F??27&VFVBF?R6?6??VBg&??'&?????W6?2?B&??F??2F?B?26???????F?R??'F??B??'F?V7B????rF?Rg&??'&????vV?&W2??Rf??G26?&??R?W6?2?v?F??&6GR?f?'&????&F?6?V?&?W6?2???r?F?W'2???F?W"6?????g&?6??W&?FvR??'&????2F?R6?V?&??'F??'BFWfV??VB???F???'?g&?6?6?fW2??'&????7F'F??rg&??F?R6??????W&??B??B?2?&?VB'?FVgB?G&?6????fV?V?G2?gFV???VB??F?Rw&?V?B?"6???WFV???fW'FVB??B?6??27G&??r7&?&F?26????V?B??6??RfW'6???2?B?2?v?2??VBv?F??W6?2?&V6V?F?F?R'B?2&VV??V?&??VB'?F?RFF?F????b6?V?&?W&f??VB??f&??W26??WFW"v?W2?B??f?W2??B6?V?&?W6?2?2fVGW&VB????FW&???W6?2?F?R7V?6??R7&VFVB'?g&??'&?????2v?FRf&?WG??bf??B?fV???F?2F?R?F????F?6??b'&?????B?2&6?6????GW&R?b&?6?&V?2??&??Bf?&?f??v?F?&?7FVB6?'6R676ff??W"??G??6?F?6?W2??6?VFRfF?B??VV6?&?F?v?F?6Vf??B?B???????&?B?F?W"fVvWF&?W2??VBv?F?6?&????????2?BWW'3??BfV???F?&V??B?VB7FWr?FW7?FR??F??2'&????>( ?f??F?W2?&?F????VF?FR?BW?FV?FVB?vV?W&??&V???7G&??s?f???V?&W'27W7F??&???fR??&V?F?fV?6??6R&????G?F???R??F?W"????F??rg&WVV?B&WV????2?"vF?W&??rBf??f&??"&?6???vVV?V?G2?B???F?2?f?"F?R??V?r?F?RW&&???v?F?fR??6?VFW2?W6?2?F?6R6?V'2??B&W7FW&?G2?D?R4TTB?d??#b????b?T?R#0??D?R4TTB?d??#b????b??T?R#0????