/ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/TELEVISION-BRAZIL: Soap Operas Defy Criticisms from Church Leaders

By Mario Osava Reprint | | Print |

Mario Osava

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jun 26 2001 (IPS) - The Brazilian television network ‘O Globo’ launched a new soap opera “A Padroeira” (The Patroness) in mid-June that has proven to be another in a series of such programmes with heavy religious content in an overt challenge to various faiths.

All of the soaps O Globo has on its current schedule involve religion in some way, just as “Estrela-guia” (Guiding Star) did. The series, which concluded last week, was centred on the esoteric beliefs of communities that worship nature, conducting purification ceremonies, for example.

“Porto dos milagres” (Gateway of Miracles), broadcast at 20:30 local time – the hour with the largest TV viewing audience -, includes ‘candomblé’ rituals, part of African-origin religious practices. The lead character constantly expresses devotion to Iemanjá, goddess of the sea.

Also in the television line-up is “Um anjo caiu do céu” (An Angel Fell from the Heavens), which tells the story of angels living among humans, interfering in their fates and conversing with God. Some sectors of the Catholic Church have criticised the “caricature” the programme paints of their religious faith and have recommended that Catholics avoid watching the show, broadcast daily at 19:00 local time.

The rest of O Globo’s soap operas also receive condemnations from Catholics and Protestants alike.

Methodist bishops issued a manifesto defending a boycott of the O Globo network’s soap operas that “contradict the Christian teachings of the Brazilian people.”

Popular actors practicing ‘candomblé’ and esotericism promote “a magic spirituality” in society, particularly among adolescents, said the Methodist leaders, calling for joint action from the churches against what they consider to be television’s negative programming.

“The Patroness” has been controversial since before its premiere. The story’s backdrop, upon which the typical soap opera romances unfold, is the story of ‘Nossa Senhora Aparecida’, the Afro-Brazilian version of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, and adored by Brazilians, who make up the largest Catholic population in the world.

The story takes place in the village of Santo Antonio de Guaratinguetá, where a small image of the Virgin Mary appeared floating in the Paraíba do Sul River in 1717, discovered by three fishermen.

The town had been very wealthy because it was located on the “route of gold” to the mines in Minas Gerais, in the Brazilian interior. But it later fell into poverty as gold production dropped off, becoming an important centre for the fishing sector instead.

But then even the fish disappeared from the river, leaving the fisherfolk desperate – until the image of the black virgin appeared, bringing with it an unprecedented abundance of fish, which locals interpreted as a miracle.

Brazilians began to pay homage to Our Lady ‘Aparecida’ (appeared), who became the Patroness of the country. The site of the “miracle” turned into a destination for masses of pilgrims coming from the far corners of Brazil.

Guaratinguetá grew and later gave rise to the nearby city of Aparecida, 180 km from Sao Paulo towards Rio de Janeiro. In the new city, an enormous Basilica was built alongside a vast plaza where the faithful gather.

The soap opera is, as a result, a delicate matter because it takes on a matter of top importance for the Catholic Church, which has already expressed concern about how the image of the Virgin will be portrayed.

The authorities at the National Sanctuary of Aparecida issued a public warning to O Globo network, a communiqué that says they expect “respect for the feelings and the devotion of the people toward the image of Our Lady.”

The matter also affects the new “evangelical” or fundamentalist Christian religions and sects, which reject the adoration of images fostered by the Catholic Church. For example, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, one of the fastest growing in Brazil and abroad, has made the fight against the worship of saints one of its priorities.

One of the leaders, or “bishops” of this religion, which owns a national television network, caused a scandal, and a conflict with Catholics in general, when he kicked an image of the Aparecida during a live television broadcast.

The exploitation of religious themes as a means to conquer viewing audiences is a frequent criticism among theologians here, such as Fernando Altemeyer, of the Catholic University of Sao Paulo. In the case of the Black Virgin, there is greater reason for such concern, considering her immense popularity.

In addition – coincidence or not – O Globo network itself is replaying the soap opera “Roque Santero”, filmed 15 years ago and which won international fame. The series serves as a vehicle to criticise those who take advantage of religious beliefs for economic or political ends. Dias Gomes, a prominent Brazilian playwright, wrote that series.

The recently premiered “The Patroness” depicts the passion between two attractive young people and the fight between good and evil, elements that always seem to be at the core of soap operas. But this one includes characters who really did exist, such as the Count of Assumar, an official of the Portuguese Crown.

Scriptwriter Walcyr Carrasco says that the new soap opera seeks to portray, as naturally as possible, an era in which the population wore baggy and dirty clothes and long hair. But those in charge of production confess that it is impossible to faithfully render the customs of three centuries ago.

The characters change clothing more often than would have been possible in that era, and the women do not have robust figures nor do they live shut up in their houses as in that period because, admit the producers, the audiences would not have reacted very favourably to that.