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    Joseph Holbrook
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    This dissertation examines the ideological development of the Catholic University Student (JUC) movements in Cuba and Brazil during the Cold War and their organizational predecessors and intellectual influences in interwar Europe. Transnational Catholicism prioritized the attempt to influence youth and in particular, university students, within the context of Catholic nations within Atlantic civilization in the middle of the twentieth century. This dissertation argues that the Catholic university movements achieved a relatively high level of social and political influence in a number of countries in Latin America and that the experience of the Catholic student activists led them to experience ideological conflict and in some cases, rupture, with the conservative ideology of the Catholic hierarchy. Catholic student movements flourished after World War II in the context of an emerging youth culture. The proliferation of student organizations became part of the ideological battlefield of the Cold War. Catholic university students also played key roles in the Cuban Revolution (1957-1959) and in the attempted political and social reforms in Brazil under President João Goulart (1961-1964). The JUC, under the guidance of the Church hierarchy, attempted to avoid aligning itself with either ideological camp in the Cold War, but rather to chart a so-called “third way” between materialistic capitalism and atheistic socialism. Thousands of students in over 70 nations were trained to think critically about pressing social issues. This dissertation places the Catholic Student movement in Brazil and Cuba in the larger context of transnational Catholic university movements in Europe and Latin America using archival evidence, newspaper accounts and secondary sources. Despite the hierarchy’s attempt to utilize students as an instrument of social influence, the actual lived experience of students equipped them to think critically about social issues, and helped lay a foundation for the opening to modernity of Vatican II, the progressive student politics in Latin America and the rise of liberation theology.

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    This dissertation examines the ideological development of the Catholic University Student (JUC) movements in Cuba and Brazil during the Cold War and their organizational predecessors and intellectual influences in interwar Europe. Transnational Catholicism prioritized the attempt to influence youth and in particular, university students, within the context of Catholic nations within Atlantic civilization in the middle of the twentieth century. This dissertation argues that the Catholic university movements achieved a relatively high level of social and political influence in a number of countries in Latin America and that the experience of the Catholic student activists led them to experience ideological conflict and in some cases, rupture, with the conservative ideology of the Catholic hierarchy. Catholic student movements flourished after World War II in the context of an emerging youth culture. The proliferation of student organizations became part of the ideological battlefield of the Cold War. Catholic university students also played key roles in the Cuban Revolution (1957-1959) and in the attempted political and social reforms in Brazil under President João Goulart (1961-1964). The JUC, under the guidance of the Church hierarchy, attempted to avoid aligning itself with either ideological camp in the Cold War, but rather to chart a so-called “third way” between materialistic capitalism and atheistic socialism. Thousands of students in over 70 nations were trained to think critically about pressing social issues. This dissertation places the Catholic Student movement in Brazil and Cuba in the larger context of transnational Catholic university movements in Europe and Latin America using archival evidence, newspaper accounts and secondary sources. Despite the hierarchy’s attempt to utilize students as an instrument of social influence, the actual lived experience of students equipped them to think critically about social issues, and helped lay a foundation for the opening to modernity of Vatican II, the progressive student politics in Latin America and the rise of liberation theology.

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    714 views36 pages

    Catholic Student Movements 1920s-1960s

    Uploaded by

    Joseph Holbrook
    This dissertation examines the ideological development of the Catholic University Student (JUC) movements in Cuba and Brazil during the Cold War and their organizational predecessors and intellectual influences in interwar Europe. Transnational Catholicism prioritized the attempt to influence youth and in particular, university students, within the context of Catholic nations within Atlantic civilization in the middle of the twentieth century. This dissertation argues that the Catholic university movements achieved a relatively high level of social and political influence in a number of countries in Latin America and that the experience of the Catholic student activists led them to experience ideological conflict and in some cases, rupture, with the conservative ideology of the Catholic hierarchy. Catholic student movements flourished after World War II in the context of an emerging youth culture. The proliferation of student organizations became part of the ideological battlefield of the Cold War. Catholic university students also played key roles in the Cuban Revolution (1957-1959) and in the attempted political and social reforms in Brazil under President João Goulart (1961-1964). The JUC, under the guidance of the Church hierarchy, attempted to avoid aligning itself with either ideological camp in the Cold War, but rather to chart a so-called “third way” between materialistic capitalism and atheistic socialism. Thousands of students in over 70 nations were trained to think critically about pressing social issues. This dissertation places the Catholic Student movement in Brazil and Cuba in the larger context of transnational Catholic university movements in Europe and Latin America using archival evidence, newspaper accounts and secondary sources. Despite the hierarchy’s attempt to utilize students as an instrument of social influence, the actual lived experience of students equipped them to think critically about social issues, and helped lay a foundation for the opening to modernity of Vatican II, the progressive student politics in Latin America and the rise of liberation theology.

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    CATHOLIC STUDENT MOVEMENTS IN LATIN AMERICA

    CUBA AND BRAZIL 1920s TO 1960s


    Joseph Holbrook

    Origins of the Project


    General Research Question
    Religion and Society Catholicism and Political Culture

    Masters Thesis in LACC


    Religious monopoly and pluralism on democracy in Colombia and Brazil

    2006 - History
    Dr. Sherry Johnson and interest in Cuba
    Research seminar/Catholicism in Cuba

    1960s, a revolutionary decade


    A new pope, the Cuba Revolution The Second Vatican Coucil (1962-1965) The Brazilian Military Dictatorship

    2008 Modern Europe


    Modern Spain with Dr. Morcillo
    Spanish Catholicism Catholic Action in Spain

    History of Youth focused on France and transnational student movements based in Europe during the Cold War The ideological European roots of Catholic Action student movements

    Two types of Catholic Action


    Italian general Catholic Action
    Diocesa based, gender driven and controlled by the Bishops Focused on piety and liturgy

    Franco-Belgian specialized C.A.


    Sodalities based on social class Controlled by student-laypeople Focused on social activism

    Ideological Influences
    The Catholic Atlantic Transnational diffusion.
    GCA: Italy Spain Cuba. SCA: Belgium France Quebec Brazil Liberation Theology?

    Theological trends within Catholicism:


    Nouvelle Theologie vs traditional scholasticism

    Literature Review
    Religion and Politics
    Bidegain, Levine, Vsquez, and Lowey

    Sociology of Religion (& Secularization)


    Gramsci, Weber, Bellah, Berger, Casanova and Martin

    National Histories
    Spain (Morcillo Payne) Italy, France, Quebec

    Cuba
    2006 - Research Seminar on Cuba
    Louis Perez, Jr., Sherry Johnson Protestantism: Marcos Antonio Ramos, Luis Martnez-Ferndez, Jason Yaremko Catholicism: Manuel Fernnez Santalices, and Teresa Fernndez Soneira) 2006 John Kirk, Leo Falcon (masters thesis)

    Brazil
    No Brazilianists in History
    Dr. Timothy Power Victor Uribe Dr. Ana Maria Bidegain - Luiz Alberto Gomes de Souza, Jose Oscar Beozzo. Other sources: Scott Mainwarring, Thomas Bruneau, Kenneth Serbin, Andrew Chesnut, Christian Smith, Michael Loewy, and Manuel A. Vsquez.

    Theory
    Ideology
    Morcillo, Ricouer, Mannnheim, Gramsci. Also Geertz, Minar, Thompson and Kellner. (Slavoj iek just at the end) Theoretical ambiguity = grounded theory approach by accumulating large amounts of data and trying to make sense of it from several theoretical perspectives.

    Gramcsci & Weber


    Gramsci:
    conscientization, war of maneuver, organic intellectuals.

    Weber:
    religion of salvation vs. religion of adaptation to the world. Social class and status.

    Jacques Maritain
    The Concrete Historical Ideal
    Not abstract Utopia capable of existing in a given historical climate. This would create a possibility for a philosophy of culture to envision and prepare for future temporal realizations while bypassing a utopian phase. ~ Coleman

    John A. Coleman
    Draws together Weber and Maritain into a coherent theory of church movements and social change
    1. Dynamic tension with society 2. Highly committed and activist laity 3. A consistent pastoral strategy to empower the laity in their transformatioal mission

    Sources and Archives


    Dr. Bidegains personal collection

    Sources and Archives


    Ana Maria Bidegains personal collection
    Organized by nation:
    Brazil and Cuba

    Orgaized by organization:
    JECI and Pax Romana

    Personal and organizational correspondence

    Flyers, bulletins, journals, updates and newsletters, conference reports

    PUC de So Paulo
    The FIU DEA and a Tinker travel grant made it possible for me to go to transcribe and translate forty hours of interviews with former student militants in Brazil.

    Achivos del Acebispado


    Thanks to a CRI travel grant. Havana December 2009
    Dr. Sherry Johnson Julio Capo Joseph Holbrook Keith Manuel

    Catholic Action files


    25 folders. Examined 6. Docs: from 1944-1966 658 digital photos.

    Letters
    Official Correspondence of Archbishop Manuel Arteaga

    Newsletters: Catholic Action Youth

    Young Christian Workers

    J.F.A.C.C.
    Official organ of Juventud Femenina de Accin Catlica Cubana Srta. America Penichet, Ed.

    Cabelleros Catlicos de Cuba 1960

    LAC at U.F. in Gainesville


    Also in 2010, I spent several weeks in the Latin American Center of the University of Florida going through microfilm of Brazilian newspapers. Dr. Johnson facilitated introductions and graciously allowed Debbie and I to stay in her home in Citra while we were there.

    2011 - A semester course on Ethnohistory in the Wolfsonian archives 2012 - Cuban Heritage Collection at U. M. in May
    Franciscan journal La Quincena, -

    online video interviews with Cuban exiles.


    Note: They were extremely gracious when Debbie died during the fellowship and allowed me to finish my research after my return.

    Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano in Green Library


    Thanks to Antoniette di Pietro, for basic Italian

    Findings/contribution to knowledge
    Comparative study of two distinct Catholic university movements within Catholic Action:
    General Italian form Specialized Franco-Belgian forms of Catholic Action.

    And two different nations: Brazil, Cuba

    Findings/contribution to knowledge
    Transnational Linkages
    Ideological diffusion from the Europe to Brazil and Cuba.

    Geo-political contexts:
    The Cold War, Cuban Revolution, Brazilian military dictatorship Second Vatican Council.

    CONCLUSIONS
    Ernst Troelstch, The social teaching of the Christian churches (1912) Two moments in history when Christianity made a substantial and formative ethical impact on Western Society: 1) the medieval period 2) the Reformation

    CONCLUSIONS
    Some modern scholars have referred to Troelstchs study to suggest that Catholic Action youth in its various branches and manifestations nearly achieved a third case of ethical influence on Western Society in the twentieth century.

    CONCLUSIONS
    By the 1960s, Catholic Action was active in over 70 nations. In Brazil, the Catholic Action student movement took over the national student union and was advising the President, Joao Goulart. Catholic Action came very close to making a significant and lasting ethical impact on Catholic civilizations.

    CONCLUSIONS
    That it ultimately did not may be attributed to two factors; 1) Interference from the church hierarchy (Italy, 1930s; Brazil and Spain, mid-1960s); 2) Over politicization and consequent loss of sacred dimension (Brazil and Cuba).

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