Brazilian Catholics pray pope will renew region's faith
Pope Francis arrives in Brazil on Monday in effort to keep Catholics from abandoning the Church.
David Agren, Special for USA TODAY
5:40 p.m. EDT July 21, 2013
RIO DE JANEIRO — People stop to pray at the St. Jude Thaddeus parish in this Brazilian city, asking the patron saint of lost causes for intervention. Father Valdir Lima is among those praying and hoping Pope Francis can turn the tide against the number of faithful who have been leaving the Church in the world's most populous Catholic country.
"This is an important visit," Lima said after celebrating Sunday Mass. "We need renewal."
Pope Francis — the first pontiff from Latin America — arrives in Brazil on Monday amid expectations he can keep Catholics from abandoning the Church in a region where many are converting to evangelical congregations.
Francis arrives in Brazil as protests display discontent over dashed expectations in a country that during the past decade pulled millions out of poverty and was one of the brightest emerging economies.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/21/world-youth-day-pope-francis-brazil-latin-america-catholics/2573371/
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