“WE SHOW THE WAY”: AN ANALYSIS OF THE “PELA VIDA” SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAM CARRIED OUT BY THE JOHN PAUL II PARISH IN THE WEST ZONE OF THE CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the Catholic social project “Pela Vida,” which is part of the Social Assistance Center of the John Paul II Parish, located in the western part of the city of Rio de Janeiro. “Pela Vida” is an organization that provides support to pregnant women who wish to terminate their pregnancies, offering social and psychological support, vocational training, and legal assistance, with the goal of discouraging these women from proceeding with an abortion. Since the parish under analysis has undergone a transition—from being previously guided by Liberation Theology to being currently guided by a spiritualist worldview stemming from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal—this article will examine how gender has consistently generated tensions within the Catholic Church, even among the most progressive theologies. The analysis leads to the understanding that the João Paulo II parish, based on its social assistance program, has adopted an individualistic discourse, and its social actions are rooted in conservative logics that value the individual through charismatic influence. Consequently, the fight against abortion has become the main focus of social action in this parish, in contrast to its earlier efforts aimed at communal liberation.