A piedade popular foi o que sustentou a fé do povo: a experiência dos rezadores e rezadoras de ladainhas no município de Ponta de Pedras, Pará

Abstract

This dissertation explores the sacred experiences of male and female litany prayer leaders (rezadores e rezadoras de ladainhas) in the municipality of Ponta de Pedras (Pará, Brazil), as well as the relationships these popular specialists have historically established, and continue to establish, with the hierarchy of the local Catholic Church, including their agreements, conflicts, proximity, and distance. Within the broader symbolic-religious context of the Amazonian/Marajoara social world, there exists a diversity of worldviews that encompass healing and blessing practices, beliefs in enchanted beings and hauntings, and what can be termed Afro-Indigenous religiosity (Sarraf-Pacheco, 2024). Litanies are prayers sung in Latin and Portuguese, structured around a main prayer and a response. Academically, they are classified as part of popular Catholic practices (Macedo, 2008; Maués, 1995). In Ponta de Pedras, litanies are both religious and social events, blending prayer and celebration. Beyond the ritual, they are typically followed by dinners, festivals, dance parties (with or without alcoholic beverages), games, and opportunities to strengthen bonds of friendship and sociability. The "custodians of saints" (donos de santos, Maués, 1995) keepers of powerful and miraculous religious images, gain social prestige and religious influence by organizing these festivals and leading litanies. Historically, families were the main organizers of religious festivities during the desobriga period (1737–1950) in Ponta de Pedras, a time when priests periodically visited remote areas to administer sacraments. Significant changes occurred in the 1950s with the arrival of the first resident priest, and later in 1963, with the establishment of the Prelature of Ponta de Pedras. These shifts profoundly impacted the daily lives of litany prayer practitioners. Among the various litanies and their practitioners, three families and their successors stand out. The selection criteria emphasized the temporal continuity of their prayer practices. The highlighted families include: Amanajás family, organizers of the annual Trezena de Santo Antônio (Thirteen-day Devotion to Saint Anthony); Ferreira, Ribeiro, and Baía families, who celebrate the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel; Benvindo dos Santos e Ramos family, responsible for the Litany of Saint Raymond Nonnatus. Tradition, spiritual gift (dom), and blood ties are cited as reasons for preserving litany prayers. Older family members encourage the transmission of this knowledge as a form of spiritual inheritance. The methodology employed was qualitative, involving field research with observation (Uriarte, 2012), recorded non-directive interviews, and documentation of life stories (Thompson, 1992), alongside participation in contemporary litany rituals led by current practitioners. The growing presence of Catholic clergy in the city prompted reactions and stances from male and female prayer leaders. Their roles, decisions, and choices have shaped current festivals and their respective successions, as they are viewed as models to be followed.