Page 72 - Religion, Media, and the Public Sphere

the world. Here it is worth noting that in the 1990s the UCKG started to con-
16
struct cathedrals of faith—spaces capable of holding gigantic crowds. By show-
ing these enormous spaces and the expression of faith by the multitudes that ¤ll
them, the UCKG associates the image of a community of believers with the
religious conquest of the world:

“The UCKG helps Christianity grow in Japan,” “The UCKG packs a stadium in
Cape Verde,” “Worship of the Holy Spirit gathers multitudes,” “The Holy Spirit
attracts a multitude,” “More than 40,000 people gather in the Amazon for an
Afternoon of Songs.”
These reports are accompanied by images of endless public spaces being occu-
pied by enormous crowds of people from all over the world: scene after scene
of rituals where the principal performer is, according to a common expression,
“a multitude united in one faith,” wherever it may be—in Africa, Bahia, or Por-
tugal, to cite some recent examples.
In Brazil, especially in the various state capitals, the use of stadiums in the
organization of events is relatively frequent and always a subject of press inter-
est. Occasionally the Universal and the Catholic churches are shown to wage a
public battle for attendance numbers and a more successful spectacle in terms
of public and social impact. The following example comes from the Rio news-
paper O Globo:
“Universal Church cult packs Maracanã.” The Universal Church’s “Night of
Abraham” vigil ¤lled the Maracanã and Maracanãzinho stadiums with around
175,000 people according to the Rio Department of Sports (Suderj). The celebra-
tion lasted 20 hours, with no set time for ending, and attracted convoys of buses
from as far away as Chile. The meeting of singing priests from the Catholic
Church on the October 12th holiday, the day of the Madonna of Aparecida, was
attended by 161,722 people. (October 30, 1999)

Part of the strategy of both churches is to turn these spectacles into events
that can be consumed by both the secular and religious media, as proof of the
church’s importance in society. As in the above case, this does not involve the
different media controlled by the church simply “broadcasting” material of
purely news interest. The church’s media are themselves involved in the produc-
tion of these events, and there is a constant effort to create rituals that reveal
the church to the world in a spectacular way. Likewise there is an emphasis
on reports, such as those quoted from the Folha Universal, that enhance the
17
spectacular dimension of its rituals: “The UCKG gathers together more than
60,000 people in Lisbon” reads the front page headline in the July 29 edition of
the Folha Universal, showing photos of a football stadium packed with follow-
ers. The article continues:
The Belenense football stadium in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, wasn’t big enough
to accommodate all who wanted to participate in “The family at the foot of the
cross,” the faith meeting held by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.

Future in the Mirror 61