ACORDO BRASIL SANTA SÉ: Uma Análise Jurídica Dos Avanços e Retrocessos em 16 Anos

Abstract

This paper addresses the analysis of the legal advances and setbacks of the Brazil-Holy See Agreement, signed in 2008 and promulgated by Decree No. 7,107 of 2010, over the past 16 years. Using a qualitative approach and a detailed bibliographic review, the impacts of the Agreement on the relationship between the Brazilian State and the Catholic Church are explored, considering the principles of state secularism and religious freedom guaranteed by the 1988 Constitution. The study reveals that, while the Agreement juridically consolidated the Church's role in areas such as education and spiritual assistance, it also raised questions about state impartiality and the favoring of the Church over other religious denominations. Thus, the article contributes to the discussion on the limits and possibilities of cooperation between the State and the Church in a plural and secular context.