Old priests and new priests: the political hermeneutics of two generations

possível contribuição da TL e da RCC na formação do clero

Abstract

This article aims to comparatively analyze the discourses of two generations of priests in contemporary Brazil, the called 'old priests' and 'new priests'. Based on studies about the reality of new priests in Brazil (Brighentti, 2021), we have inserted the category of 'old priests', with the aim of promoting a hermeneutic analysis of suspicion of the political debate by catholic agents. The first group, called old priests, is linked to the adoption of theological perspectives linked to social development and the defense of the oppressed (Liberation Theology - TL), revealing a rapprochement with political progressivism. The second group, on the other hand, has received media attention for its alignment with conservative moral and political discourses, often influenced by evangelical churches and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR). Based on a critical analysis of the discourses exposed, this article explores how historical and theological currents shape the hermeneutics of religion, as well as the influence on the popular conception of catholicism. In this way, this work contributes to a greater understanding of the internal tensions within the Catholic Church and their impact on Brazil's political reality, especially with regard to the role of religious leaders in the public debate (through ideological influence).