Roman Catholicism in Brazil - History

History

According to the tradition, the first Mass celebrated in Brazil took place on Easter Sunday of the year 1500. It was celebrated by a priest who arrived in the country along with the Portuguese explorers to claim possession of the newfound land. However, the first diocese in Brazil was only erected more than 50 years later, in 1551.

Brazil's strong Catholic heritage can be traced to the Iberian missionary zeal, with the 15th-century goal of spreading Christianity to the so-called "infidels", in other words, Native-Brazilians. At a given time, the Church missions began to hamper the government policy of exploiting Natives. In 1782, the Jesuits were suppressed, and the government tightened its control over the Church. In addition to convert Natives, there were also strong efforts to enforce compliance with Catholicism, including the Inquisition, which was not formally established in Brazil but nonetheless functioned widely in Portuguese colonies.

Catholicism was enforced during colonial rule, then in 1824 became the official religion of an independent Brazil that also guaranteed freedom of religion for its citizens. The Brazilian government has been secular since the Constitution of 1891, though the Church remained extremely politically influential until nowadays. In the late 19th century, the Catholic population of Iberian origin was reinforced by a large number of Italian Catholics who immigrated to Brazil, as well as some Polish and German Catholic immigrants. In 1889, Brazil became a republic and approved a constitution separating the Church from the State, a trend followed by all of the country's seven republican constitutions. Prior to that, during the Empire of Brazil, Catholicism was the official religion of the country. In practice, however, separation of Church and state in the country is very weak. Government officials generally avoid taking action that may offend the Church.

A recent example of the Church's influence over political questions was the change conducted by the federal government in the Third National Program of Human Rights in regard to its proposal to legalize abortion, after pressure from the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops. That particular change, along with others, was denounced by the Amnesty International. Nevertheless, the government kept issues that upset the Church in the Program, such as its support for same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption.

In the late 20th century, the Church's liberation theology movement, which focuses on the poor as the primary recipients of Christ's message, helped in the quest for social justice. The church organized Ecclesiastical Base Communities throughout the country to work for social and political causes at the local level. Despite the support of the higher clergy to the military, the progressive wing managed to make the Church practically the only legitimate focus of resistance and defense of basic human rights during the military regime. When then Cardinal Ratzinger became responsible for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he launched a successful campaign against the liberation theology, and the conservative wing of the Church gained power. Catholics then saw the rise of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, as a way to counter the rapid growth of Pentecostal Protestantism in the country. According to Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, "pentecostalism no longer is something confined outside the Roman Catholic Church, it is now firmly within the form of various charismatic tendencies and movements".

During his five day visit to Brazil on May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Friar Galvão, who became the first Brazilian-born saint. Both the Pope's visit and the canonisation aimed at reinvigorating the local church.