The 2008 Concordat in Brazil: ‘Modern Public Religion’ or Neo-corporatism?

Abstract

In 2008, the Brazilian government and the Holy See concluded an Agreement between the Federal Republic of Brazil and the Holy See on the legal status of the Catholic Church in Brazil.¹ Despite being called merely an Agreement, its range makes it a Concordat.² The Church makes quite a frequent use of such Concordats, especially after the Vatican II Council, and often with European and Latin American countries whose societies are largely Catholic (Ferrari 2004).³ However it is described, it affects the legal architecture of relations between the Brazilian State and religions, as well as the formally equal exercise of religious freedom.⁴