Fermento da massa: ecumenismo em tempos de ditadura militar no Brasil, 1962-1982

Abstract

This study aims, among other objectives, to analyze the category ecumenism as a multifaceted object historically constructed in time and space by different actors and social institutions. Initially it was tried to retrieve some basic concepts contained in this historical category, especially from the catholic perspective observed, especially in the documents of the II Vatican Council (1962-1965). Subsequently, the intention was to understand how such institutional project of Catholic ecumenism was read by certain agencies and protestant churches in Brazil during the military dictatorship. Throughout this study we used mainly two kinds of documentation to analyze the historical period between the years 1962 and 1982. The first one consists of periodic Ecumenical Center for Documentation and Information (CEDI), and the second one, of documents of the information organs and security of the military regime, which formed the so-called intelligence community of the informations and security. It was noted that during the military regime, that was effected the rapprochement between the segments of Catholicism and some Protestant groups, most of them motivated, mainly, by the premises of the theology of the liberation and ecumenism. One of the results of this approach was that it made possible joint activities of stamp argumentative to the scheme, mainly in practical of support to the social movements. Another consequence of the actions of these Protestant and Catholics Christians, especially by political dimension of actions, it was pointed out to the community of intelligence and security and therefore, they were under his suspicion. Indeed, although the notions of ecumenism seated in the ideal of search for unity among Christians and of the Liberation Theology might suggest that they are strictly religious concepts, and the analysis of documentation was able to deconstruct this assumption. In this way, maybe the main purpose of this paper seeks to analyze and understand the various ways in which pastors and laity protestants, laity and catholics bishops and other religious were represented in the documents of some organs of the military regime.