The present text analyzes the quarrel about the crucifixes, a Christian symbol and a tradition of Brazilian Catholicism. This quarrel has achieveda dimension never seen beforein the year of 2012. The debate has focused on the presence of religious symbols in administrative establishments of the Brazilian government, considering just one small topic (the removal of crucifixes) in a huge tradition of linking State actions and Catholic traditions, for example, days and holydays, charity institutions and law with sharp signs of Catholic moral. The text points the origin of the debate and the possible reasons of that debate. Besides, it compares this situation to other societies which have been dealt with the issue such as France and Germany.
