Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Positivist temple in Glória, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Igreja Positivista do Brasil, on Rua Benjamin Constant in Glória, has a white plastered facade with a triangular pediment. A frieze reads "O AMOR POR PRINCIPIO. E A ORDEM POR BASE. O PROGRESSO POR FIM." Below it, three dark green double doors sit in bays separated by pilasters with decorative capitals; the left door is shorter. Signs above read "VIVER AS CLARAS", "VIVER PARA OUTREM" and "ORDEM E PROGRESSO".
Miguel Lemos founded the Brazilian Positivist Church in May 1881, establishing a center to spread Auguste Comte's philosophical and religious teachings throughout the nation. The building was later erected as a physical home for this intellectual movement and its followers.
The temple displays busts of notable figures from religion, literature, philosophy, science, and politics throughout its central nave. This arrangement reflects the Positivist idea of honoring and celebrating human achievement across different fields.
The building remains closed to visitors due to structural damage affecting the roof that has persisted since 2009. This means the interior and its collections cannot currently be viewed in person.
In 1903 the temple hosted the confirmation of the marriage of Major Cândido Rondon, later a marshal of the Brazilian Army known for integrating remote regions and defending Indigenous peoples. The adjoining rooms also held the first copy of the current republican flag, which was stolen.
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