Catholicism and its publicity: reflections from the construction of the Cathedral of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe (Foz do Iguaçu/Brazil)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the disputes and performatizations surrounding the construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Foz do Iguaçu. This temple is built within a context where Muslims, Buddhists and other religions gain publicity through monumental architectural facilities that modify the perception in material and sensitive terms about the composition of the local religious field. In this scenario, the Catholic Church uses the same model of publicity, addresses its connection with the region through the aesthetic elements of the work, organizes events aimed at integrating the community into the meaning of construction. In this way, by emphasizing the events related to the execution of the project (debate about the project, launching of the cornerstone, celebrations, pilgrimages, conclusion and inauguration of parts of the work), we can visualize the publicity of the Catholic faith, where a set of actors mobilize and are mobilized to compose the senses of the Cathedral and the role of Catholicism in the triple frontier.