Is it saint or is it not? The case of the “revoked saints” and the devotion to Saint Barbara in Salvador-BA

Abstract

From the hagiography of St. Barbara, this article addresses the various versions of the story of the saint who lived possibly during the third century in Nicomedia. However, after the Second Vatican Council, a papal decree removed Barbara (and dozens of other saints) from the general calendar of the Catholic Church. The lack of historical proof of its real existence was one of the reasons for the adoption of such a measure, which became known as the “revoked saints”. When this happened, the cult of the father-beheaded martyr was widespread in many parts of the world, including Salvador-BA. From periodicals of the time, the text analyzes the repercussions of the fact and the peculiarities of the devotion to Santa Bárbara in the Bahian capital, observing mainly its close relation with Afro-Brazilian religions. In analyzing the historical context of the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council and the characteristics of this devotion in Salvador, the article deals with themes such as religious syncretism, double belonging and popular devotion. In this way, the work aims to provide some reflections around the figure of Barbara, a saint who has many devotees today.Keywords: Saint Barbara. Iansã. Ecclesiology. Revoked saints. Salvador-BA.