À luz dos vitrais, a história da arquidiocese de Vitória, Espírito Santo, no período entre 1979 1984, a partir da trajetória política de D. João Batista da Mota e Albuquerque

Abstract

In the light of the stained glass, this essay shows Vitória’s archdiocese history, in Espírito Santo, from 1979 to 1984, through biographical record from the contemporary historiography of Dom João Batista da Mota e Albuquerque, archbishop of Vitória Church. The analysis of this social actor, as well as of his time and space, reveals confused relations, conflicts, points of view, expressing the history of a private church, its communities, its people and their labor. The stained glass is an art which beauty can be appreciated as the lights are reflected on the countless pieces of colored glass that compound the image. By using this example, there is the intention to redeem Vitória’s archdiocese history and even the state of Espírito Santo’s, in the light of Dom João Batista da Mota e Albuquerque’s political trajectory. The changes experienced by the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church from Vatican Council II ( 1962 – 1965 ) are divisory waters from the presence of this church in world. The mystic of the council, its documents, the Catacomb pact and the Taizé Brothers, inspired all the social and political trajectory of the archbishop of Vitória, who has become a propagandist of the council ideas. The event of the Latin America Episcopal Conferences of Medellin ( 1968 ) and in Puebla ( 1979 ) restated the orientation from the Vatican Council II all over Latin America, assuming a new way of being church, when it was defined as ecclesiastical priority the preference for the poor. All of this post-council restlessness encouraged the proliferation of many Ecclesial Base Communities in Brazil. These communities are church cells, which have as the main characteristic some groups constitution, in order to think about their realities in the light of the Gospel. Since the political and social formation was given to the CEB leaders, there was an expressive number of laymen who introduced themselves in the public area, taking part of the Left Political Party. Dom João da Mota e Albuquerque adopts this new way of being church, encourages the formation of conscious laymen, who are aware of their Christian and citizen role in society, organizes counsels in all ecclesiastic instances, and takes part actively of the social and political state life. Due to his denouncing against those who violated the human rights, he was hardly criticized, and even threatened, being obliged to sell an important mean of the church evangelism, the Capixaba Radio. The political trajectory of Vitória’s archbishop takes place among a game for power, inside and outside the church. The organized people fighting for their rights, the citizen involvement in social movements, labor unions and resident associations, the institutional acts, the persecution to the Left side militants and the student movement, are some parts of the scenery that compound the stained glass in which this social actor has been inserted, marking expressively the history of the Espírito Santo and Vitória’s church.