Press and Education: the catholic conservative tradition in the newspaper Folha do Norte do Paraná (1962-1979)

Abstract

This article is the result of a study on the Catholic press in Maringá based on articles published by the newspaper “Folha do Norte do Paraná” between the years of 1962 and 1979. The objective of the study is the understanding of the influence of this newspaper on the diffusion of conservative ideas in the city of Maringá. In the published articles, some signed by Dom Jaime, at the time bishop of Maringá, the preservation of Catholic habits and traditions is understood as a duty of the faithful for the consecration of God's will. It is an educational strategy of the Catholic Church with the objective of spreading the faith and expanding the reach of the Catholic Church in Maringa society and its surroundings. As a result, the research suggests that organic intellectuals from Maringá, followers of Dom Jaime's ideas, played an important role in educating a portion of the population of the city and surrounding areas. This research is inserted in the field of the history of education and addresses the actions of the Catholic hierarchy to consolidate the presence of the conservative ideology and to oppose opponents, both political and others, considered enemies of the Church.