Ecos da fé na alma e na obra de Eça de Queiróz:uma visão crítica da Igreja e da Religião Católicas no século XIX

Abstract

This dissertation, insert on the research segment of Politics and Culture, talks about Eça de Queiroz´s critical vision about the Catholic Church, the popular catholicism and the Church-State relations in Portugal on the XIX century. The work deepens author´s ideas determined in the historical moment named the movement of Regeneration , on the second half of that century, marked by propositions of denunciation concerning to society´s decadence, the changes and modernizing reforms in the economic, social, political, educational and cultural structures of Portugal. It also analyses relevant issues relates to politics as the monarchical liberalism, the policy of the portuguese constitucional government, the policy taken by the ultramontanist Vatican and its developments in Portugal, beyond the catholicism established on cultural and political practices. From the use of original sources as journalisticals works wrotten by Eça, published in Brazil and in Portugal, and also examing his letters to his intellectual friends from the 70´s Generation , the dissertation argues questions like anticlericalism, antijesuitism, portuguese padroado, regalism and the portuguese cultural project in order to convert Portugal in a secular state government. Observing the extraordinary, acute and sarcastic Eça´s intelligence, this work conclude for understanding the writer as a great protector of changes in the clerical customs, speechs and concerns of the Catholic Church at that time and also as an exacting voice connected with others intellectuals to the advance of a new performance and engagement of the Catholic Church. At last, this work determines the portuguese author as an great expert among the portuguese intellectuals because he was one of the fundamental protagonists in the cultural and political renovation movement of Portugal influencing its public opinion. He was, as well, a writer of an important and decisive literary and journalist work and, mainly, he was able to impose himself as a real promoter of the modernity in Portugal.