Igreja Católica e surdez: território, associa o e representa o política Catholic Church and deafness: territory, association and political representation

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a posi o chave da Igreja Católica na produ o de formas de associa o primária de pessoas com surdez no Brasil. Essa atua o levou à consolida o da denominada língua brasileira de sinais (libras) e de formas de associa o civil e política. Comp e o universo empírico da análise a rela o de longa dura o dessa institui o com a educa o de surdos, a vasta rede de congrega es católicas fundadoras de escolas especiais, bem como as trajetórias de agentes de poder, vinculados à Igreja Católica, que ocupam posi es de representa o política no ambito da surdez. The aim of this article is to analyze the position of the Catholic Church in the production of primary forms of association of people with deafness in Brazil, which led to the consolidation of Brazilian Sign Language and forms of civil and political association. For this, the universe of empirical analysis is composed with the relation between this institution and deaf education, the vast network of catholic congregations founding of special schools as well as the trajectories of actors with power, connected the Catholic Church, in positions of political representation in deafness.