António Pereira de Sousa Caldas
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António Pereira de Sousa Caldas (November 24, 1762 in Rio de Janeiro – March 2, 1814 in Rio de Janeiro), was a Brazilian poet and author. He studied mathematics at the University at sixteen. At some point he developed an interest in French philosophy. In 1781 his interest and leanings caused him to be imprisoned by the Inquisition. They condemned him for being heretical, naturalistic, blasphemously deist and other things related to his French philosophical sympathies. After that he was sentenced to catechism for six months as a kind of re-education. In 1784 he wrote a poem inspired by Jean Jacques Rousseau and remained unorthodox theologically.
However, after a trip to Europe in 1789, he became sincerely Catholic and was ordained in 1790. He did not abandon his previous ideals entirely as he wrote on reconciling sincere Catholic faith with the ideals of political freedom espoused by the French philosophers.
