History of the Catholic Church in Brazil

This article details the history of the Catholic Church in Brazil from the colonial era until the modern era. The Federative Republic of Brazil is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 201 million people. Catholicism is the country's predominant faith with approximately 64.6% of the population identifying as a member of the religion.^[1] Brazil has the world's largest Catholic population.

The history of the Catholic Church in Brazil begins with the region's colonization by the Portuguese. Jesuits played an important role in the early colonies before eventually being expelled. The Catholic Church supported Brazilian independence and worked to secure its place within the country. The republican government of the 1890s implemented a greater emphasis on the separation of church and state but the 20th century saw a flourishing of membership due to mass immigration. The church made attempts at this time to expand their cultural presence through various methods, including advocacy. Today, the Catholic Church in Brazil continues to work towards advocacy.