“Somos jovens. Não somos fossilizados. Não somos tradicionalistas, pois não vivemos do passado”. Uma análise das relações sócio-culturais na formação de sacerdotes (1939-1962)

Abstract

This work analyzes the power relations in the historical context of the Roman Catholic Church, highlighting the cultural, social, and political influences on the historical subject, the priest. Using a socio-historical approach, it investigates the tensions between the modernizing currents of the 20th century and the Tridentine customs present in the bishops' pastoral letters and in the reports of Dom Adelmo Machado. The analysis is based on the social history of culture, with an emphasis on social movements and their impact on priestly formation, and the application of the Foucauldian method to understand the mechanisms of discipline and power, particularly regarding the "microphysics of power." This study reveals how the Church, by preserving its customs, remains an influential agent in society, employing practices aimed at maintaining religious power and constituting a disciplined body-subject.