Conditioning Factors in Simplification of Catholic Temples after Vatican II in Brazil

Case Analysis of the Santa Maria de Campos Parish Church

Abstract

Under the influence of the liturgical reform promoted in the 20th century, Catholic temples assumed very simple characteristics, especially after the determinations of the Second Vatican Council. This simplification can be observed both in the construction of new temples and in the adaptation of others built before the period in question, causing the loss of its identity. In order to understand the simplification of these sacred spaces, we chose the case study: the renovation of Santa Maria de Campos dos Goytacazes Parish Church, located in the North of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the architectural intervention of this sacred space, conditioning factors were identified as: impositions of the local community; priests who are unaware of ecclesiastical determinations for liturgical space; and the scarcity of architects familiar with liturgical practices and conciliar guidelines. It is necessary to consider new proposals for the use of space, particularly in the rehabilitation of sacred spaces after the Second Vatican Council.