THE DEBATES ON THE ROLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE CONQUEST, DEFENSE AND INTEGRATION OF INTERNATIONAL BORDERS IN THE AMAZON REGION IN THE FIRST DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

This article analyzes the creation of new ecclesiastical circumscriptions in the Brazilian Amazon region, during the first decades of the twentieth century. I focus, in a first moment, on the interpretations that associate the institutional expansion of the Catholic Church with the defence and the geopolitical control of the international borders and, afterwards, in counterpoint to the interpretation, I propose to observe that this policy was carried out from specific interests of the Catholic Church and not, properly, as a consequence of a tacit alliance between the Holy See and the Brazilian government or of the concern of the ecclesiastical hierarchy with the defence and the integration of the international borders. The justifications for creating new Catholic ecclesiastical circumscriptions were the great territorial extension, the difficulties in the means and ways of communication, the scarcity of clergy and resources, the need to expand the ecclesiastical hierarchy, as well as the desire to make religious assistance and episcopal management effective, combat competing religions and Christianise the indigenous populations. The sources used were obtained from the Vatican Apostolic Archive and from the Archive of the Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Works, and allowed us to understand the articulations and projects of the pontifical representatives and the Holy See and their relations with the episcopate.