A liberdade de organização religiosa como expressão de cidadania numa ordem constitucional inclusiva

• Autor(a) principal: Santos Junior, Aloisio Cristovam dos
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações do Mackenzie
• Texto Completo: http://dspace.mackenzie.br/handle/10899/23915
• topic: liberdade de organização religiosa; liberdade religiosa coletiva; estado laico; organizações religiosas; right to free religious organization; collective religious freedom; secular state; religious organizations; CNPQ::CIENCIAS SOCIAIS APLICADAS::DIREITO

Among the different forms of religious freedom of expression, the right to free religious organization is one the most frequently misunderstood, either because scholars do not regard it as important as the question of freedom of creed and worship or because of the difficulty in determining under what circumstances the State may interfere in the organizational development of religious groups. According to Brazilian Law, the right to free religious organization is an ample concept, based on the notion of a secular State favoring religious manifestations while ensuring equal treatment for all religious groups regardless of their size and origin. Thus, the right to free religious organization includes freedom of establishment, rule, internal structure and functioning of religious groups. The judicial nature of such groups derives directly from the constitutional principle of non-interference by the State in their establishment and development; in fact, when religious organizations adopt a legal personality, it is under private law rather than civil law, such as the Catholic Church, which is publicly recognized as a political organization ― the Holy See ― in the Vatican State, but is not extensive to the religious organization representing it in Brazil and subject to the Brazilian Constitution. The right to free religious organization protects religious organizations as long as their institutional objectives, particularly worship, are those recognized by the Brazilian Constitution. It does not, however, protect organizations which in spite of their outward religious character do not primarily pursue such objectives but engage in economic activities and the commercialization of faith. The limits of the right to free religious organization are determined by the public interest and by the interest of the members of such groups.