Memória e Esquecimento. As causas e conseqüências do artigo “O Beato José Lourenço e sua ação no Cariri”, de José Alves de Figueiredo

Abstract

This paper aims to highlight at the article written by the pharmacist, journalist and writer José Alves de Figueiredo published at the O Povo newspaper on June 7th 1934 about the Caldeirão, a community founded in 1926 at the Cariri Region (CE) and coordinated by José Lourenço. Because they lived in the perspective of community work and prayer, the backwoodsmen have been labeled as fanatics and communists. The article brought bad consequences to Figueiredo. He was arrested after its publication, which means that the government, the owners of land close to the community and the Church wanted to erase Caldeirao from the collective memory. This forgetfulness in relation to the Caldeirão can be seen even today.