Catholic lay associations: new settings, religious practices and perspectives in the 20th century

Abstract

The frst decades of the 20th century in Bahia were marked by attempts of urban modernization and custom civilization, particularly in the capital. Political and religious authorities united towards a modernization project conceived and executed in two different terms of Governor José Joaquim Seabra (1912-1916 and 1920-1924). However, the timeframe was extended until 1937 in order to comprehend some changes, such as the demolition of Sé Church; although these changes had been planned, they only occurred along the term of federal auditor Juracy Magalhães (1931-1937). In that context, several lay associations were forced to move to other churches. This paper approaches the displacements, the consequent changes in the religious practices of believers and the perspectives of continuity in the 20th century.

Keywords

• Associações leigas
• catolicismo
• modernização
• século XX
• Salvador - BA