As romarias de Juazeiro do Norte aos olhos dos não devotos

Abstract

This thesis starts from an interpretation of the pilgrimages of Juazeiro do Norte in the eyes of non-devotees. Subjects who, devoid of devotion to Padre Cícero, portray the city's pilgrimages through entertainment-oriented experiences. Since the beginning, we have observed, in these events, elements referring to both the sacred field and the ludic sphere, allowing connections and intersections of symbols, as well as a transit of the most diverse people, resonating in hybrid processes (CANCLINI, 2019). This panorama ensures the possibility of experiencing the pilgrimages through perspectives that are not necessarily anchored in the notion of the sacred, and in the undertaking of devotional practices. Reading the pilgrimages in Juazeiro through the eyes of subjects who do not qualify as devotees of Padre Cícero allows us to perceive them, as well as Juazeiro, through entertainment. This municipality has the second most valued square meter in Ceará, presenting itself as an important commercial and cultural center, reverberating in the context of the fastest growing cities in Ceará. Considering the idea that Juazeiro, recognized as one of the biggest poles of popular pilgrimages in Brazil, is conceived as an interesting commercial and cultural center, it ends up attracting people with different interests. The methodological process employed was, substantially, fieldwork, based on the concept of dense description (GEERTZ, 2019), as well as on the anthropological concern with looking, listening and writing (OLIVEIRA, 2000). Semi-structured interviews were carried out, aligned with a bibliographic apparatus, informal conversations and photographic records. The investigation that favors the look of nondevotees regarding the phenomenon in question, demonstrated the ability to read the pilgrimages of Juazeiro far from devotional practices, focused, above all, on entertainment.