Catholicism has deep roots in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The first diocese in the New World was authorized in Puerto Rico in 1504 but not officially launched due to the opposition of King Ferdinand of Spain, who didn’t want tithes to the diocese to take gold he believed was rightfully the crown’s. Today, between 75 and 85 percent of Puerto Rico’s population identifies as Roman Catholic, and their faith is a rich combination of elements of Spanish, Latin American and West African traditions.