The "good catholic press" in the dissemination of accusatory views on masonry in the 1930s

Abstract

Starting from the conception of Good Press, which gained space in the Catholic intellectual scenery in the early years of the twentieth century, we will work with the analysis of two periodicals produced by the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife:  the Religious Tribune and the Bulletin of the Archdiocese, central spaces for dissemination of the Catholic ideal in the 1930s. Our goal is to present the ways in which Masonry was represented in these press agencies. From this perspective, we will observe how the negative views and representations that, in many moments, unfolded in accusatory versions about Masons and Masonry emerged. The use of this resource aimed to demonstrate the supposed strategies of political control that would be used by Masonry – in the view of these press agencies – for the creation of a society guided by "lack of faith and order". Thus, highlighting the dangerous and nefarious character of Freemasonry was something important to be exposed by the "good press".  Following the construction of such a scenery, in this we seek to explore how the action of these communication spaces sponsored by the Catholic Church and the actions of its intellectuals was structured, also seeking to analyze the forms with the a Masonry was presented in such periodicals, an element  that helps us to understand the process of construction and circulation of these images – with strong accusatory appeal – on Freemasonry, while illuminating the possibilities of understanding how negative views about the institution were forged within the political and historical cultures of Brazilian society.