Constituição discursiva sobre gênero e sexualidade no campo religioso católico: análise interpretativista dos discursos envolventes de dois Papas do século XXI

Abstract

Since the last century, debates on gender and sexuality have become increasingly present in academic circles and in society in general. Since discussions on these topics are important for the shift in meanings that are nowadays inscribed in actions of prejudice and violence, this research is inserted in the area of Applied Linguistics (Fabrício, 2006; Moita Lopes, 2006), from a perspective of implication (Souto Maior, 2022, 2023a, 2023b), considering studies on gender (Louro, 2015a, 2015b, 2022; Butler, 2003, 2018; hooks, 2019) and Bakhtinian discursive studies (2010a, 2010b, 2011). In this sense, I seek to observe that Engaging Discourses (Souto Maior, 2009, 2022, 2023a, 2023b) underpin the tensions of the Catholic Christian discursive field, understanding that this is one of the most traditional spaces that produce and reproduce meanings in social practices. Thus, these vast sets of spaces and instances socially “exercise pedagogies” (Meyer, 2002) and teach ways of being, being in the world, and behaving. The corpus of the research is composed of two speeches by Pope Benedict XVI (one addressed to the diplomatic corps and the other to the Roman Curia in Vatican City) and the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, by Pope Francis, in order to observe the Engaging Discourses based on the use of the terms “family” and “homosexuality”, constructed by the interactions between the words of the one who speaks on behalf of the Church and society, which also constitutes this discourse. Therefore, this study has the general objective of reflecting on the notions of “family” and “homosexuality” present in the speeches of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, as well as their implications for society. Regarding the methodology, I developed a qualitative study (Freitas, 2007; Amorim, 2007; Flick, 2009) with an interpretative approach (Oliveira, 2008; Moita Lopes, 2006). The research questions that supported the analysis were: a) what discourses are found in the official statements of the aforementioned popes regarding the terms “family” and “homosexuality”?; b) what Engaging Discourses do we find in the proposed excerpt and what do they mean within the discourses on gender and sexuality?; c) what are the possible implications of the meanings formulated by these Engaging Discourses for the construction of people’s experiences in contemporary times? Thus, considering that the speeches formulated by the popes have repercussions in most societies worldwide, with regard to the possible implications of the meanings formulated by these Engaging Discourses for the construction of people’s experiences or social practices of interaction in contemporary times, it is possible to say that these speeches are not only prejudiced but also encourage violence and death.