Introduction

With membership at more or less 1.28 billion, Catholicism remains the world’s largest religion. A scrutiny of Catholicism in the context of migration and diaspora today is essential insofar as it is a, if not the, critical medium and embodiment of global Catholicism and is, consequently, potently revelatory of world Christianity in contemporary times. A focus on Filipino Catholicism in the context of migration and diaspora is well positioned to fill the gaps for two reasons. The first relates to the Philippines’ place and status within the global Catholic Church. A second reason stems from the vital multidimensional role of migration among Filipinos and their faith as well as to Catholicism or the Catholic Church itself. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book explores the roles, dynamics, character, and trajectories of Catholicism in the context of contemporary migration and diaspora as experienced by Filipino Catholics at home and overseas.