A Velhice Do Padre Eterno

Published in 1885, this explosive collection of fifty satirical poems sparked outrage that still reverberates. Guerra Junqueiro fires fifty bullets at the Catholic Church, all aimed at the same target: the corruption of faith by institutions, the hollow ritualism, the obscurantist superstitions that strangle the spiritual impulse. But make no mistake: this is not atheism. The opening poem, 'Aos Simples,' declares it plainly, the author attacks dogmas and clergy, not those who believe. 'Mas também acredito... que no universo inteiro há uma só diocese / E uma só catedral com um só bispo - Deus.' The Vatican itself is called 'the brothel of the Church.' Written as the second part of a planned triptych (following 'A Morte de D. João' and intended to precede a glorification of Prometheus and Christ), this is a poet's war cry against the hijacking of Christianity's primitive ideal. Its violence was unprecedented in Portuguese letters, and the censorship it provoked only proved its point.