15 - The Catholic church in colonial Brazil

Summary

The history of the church in Brazil has traditionally been open to two basic interpretations. These interpretations are irreconcilable, because they represent the views of two sectors of society which have been in permanent conflict ever since the establishment of the Christian church there. The first interpretation stems from the attitude of the original colonizer. It can best be summed up in the words of King João III addressing Tomé de Souza, the first governor-general of Brazil: ‘The main reason which has lead me to colonize Brazil is to convert the people therein to our holy Catholic faith.’ According to this view, European settlement of Brazil was motivated above all by spiritual priorities, for it was aimed at the conversion of the Indian, the expansion of the church and the spread of the true faith to those in darkness. The second interpretation is attributable to those people who suffered the consequences of the labour demands of the European settlers. These were mainly Indians, Africans imported as slaves and their descendants born into slavery in Brazil. According to the chronicler, Claude d'Abbeville, an Indian elder named Momboré-uaçu told French colonizers in Maranhão in 1612: ‘The Portuguese sent for their priests, who came and put up crosses and began to teach our people and baptize them. Later, the Portuguese said that neither they nor their priests could live without slaves to serve and work for them.’ This view equates evangelization with exploitation and slavery.