Fé, festa e oposição ao Santo do Amor e da Guerra

Abstract

This dissertation is the result of research on the popular festival in honor of Saint Anthony, held annually since 1756, during the first 13 days of June, in the city of Borba, Amazonas. The objective is to analyze the sociocultural and polysemic dimensions surrounding the celebratory event, including an understanding of the peculiarities of the relationship between devotees and the patron saint, such as the maintenance of the combative practice of punishing the image of the saint. In the study, it is verified that the ceremonies that are part of the festival are historical facts of the city, reinterpreted as intervening actions of the patron saint. Another symbolic act examined was that of decorating the statue of the saint with a mantle of money bills, a ritual incorporated to the liturgical program of the procession at the end of the festivities, by imposition of the faithful and against the wishes of the ecclesiastical leaders. The largest religious manifestation in Amazonas causes distinct impacts and developments between Catholics and Protestants, about 30% of the city's population. Many of them, against the Catholic event, mobilize to leave Borba during the festivities, participating in retreats promoted by evangelical churches of various denominations.