THE WORKERS' SOCIAL WEEK OF 1945 IN THE CITY OF FORTALEZA: THE CIVILIZING PROJECT OF THE CHURCH

Abstract

The research analyzes the realization of the Social Week (SS), which took place in 1945 in the city of Fortaleza. The event was part of a national movement aimed at consolidating the Social Doctrine of the Church in response to communism and the crisis of traditional values. The Church received support from lay intellectuals, who made up the literate elite of Ceará, working to disseminate Catholic ideals aimed at morality and civility. The organization of the Week was assisted by various specialized commissions of the Church, especially the Workers' Circles, considered an example of the Catholic working class. We followed the event through the Catholic newspaper O Nordeste. The source allowed for an understanding of the influence of the printed press in the propagation of the event and the power exercised within the Catholic community.