Moralidade, Cultura e Religiosidade

Corpos Em Disputa Durante As Crises Epidêmicas Em Pernambuco (1904-1918)

Abstract

During health crises, part of the population, motivated by faith, prioritized religious practices over adopting measures imposed by the authorities, believing that divine intercession would bring protection and an end to the evils that afflicted them. In this sense, Patron Saints and Marian devotions were central to this process, symbolizing hope against epidemics. The Catholic Church, in turn, oscillated between adapting to health regulations and resisting to preserve collective worship, reflecting tensions between public health and the religious institution. The article seeks to analyze the relationship between morality, culture and religiosity during epidemiological outbreaks in Pernambuco (1904 1918), highlighting the conflicts between health authorities and members of the Catholic Church. Based on the Cultural History of Religions, we understand that the formation and dissemination of Marian worship and devotions were linked to the social context of the early 20th century. For the discussions, we used journalistic sources, such as the newspapers Pequeno, Jornal do Recife, A Província, Diario de Pernambuco and the Hygiene Reports prepared by the physician Otávio de Freitas, with the aim of understanding the ways of combating diseases and the religious scenario. It is clear that religiosity shaped responses to epidemics, with believers risking their health, driven by the belief that, by doing so, they could achieve a cure. Thus, religion and public health emerge as fields of dispute, where faith can become both a refuge and a field of resistance, shaping collective responses in contexts of vulnerability.