Maria do Céu Baptista
68 years old · Near Fátima, Ourém municipality, Centro
Retired (former seamstress), occasional church volunteer
Persona: Religious Conservative Rural
Maria do Céu Baptista
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Maria do Céu Baptista |
| Age | 68 |
| Gender | Female |
| Location | Near Fátima, Ourém municipality, Centro |
| Occupation | Retired (former seamstress), occasional church volunteer |
| Education | 4th grade (primary school only) |
| Housing | Owns small house (inherited, no mortgage) |
| Family | Widow, three children (all married, living in Lisbon/Santarém), seven grandchildren |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - can vote |
Background Narrative
Maria do Céu has lived her entire life within 30 kilometers of Fátima. The Virgin Mary appeared there in 1917; Maria was raised to believe this as absolute truth. Faith isn't just something she has—it's who she is. She prays the rosary daily, attends mass twice a week, and has walked in the Fátima pilgrimage more times than she can count.
Her husband Joaquim died four years ago—heart attack in the olive grove. They were married 46 years. Now she lives alone in the house they built together, brick by brick, with money earned from her seamstress work and his construction jobs. Her children worry and call daily, but moving to the city is unthinkable.
She watches the news and doesn't recognize Portugal. Same-sex marriage, young people living together without marrying, immigrants who aren't Christian, schools that don't teach catechism. Her grandchildren seem like foreigners sometimes—glued to phones, questioning everything, uninterested in church. She loves them desperately and fears for their souls.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Low (€450/month pension) |
| Income source | Social Security pension |
| Financial stress | Moderate (owns home, but pension is tight) |
| Housing cost burden | Low (only utilities) |
| Economic trajectory | Stable but vulnerable |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
Higher-Order Values
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 3 | Charitable within Catholic framework; in-group focused |
| Self-Enhancement | 1 | Humble, doesn't seek status or power |
| Openness to Change | 1 | Deeply tradition-bound; change is threat |
| Conservation | 5 | Tradition, conformity, security—all paramount |
Specific Values (Top 3 priorities)
- Tradition: Catholic faith, Portuguese culture, family values
- Conformity: Respects authority (Church, elders), follows social norms
- Security: Physical safety, community stability, predictability
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Strict Father (Catholic variant)
Expression: Maria believes in moral order—God's order. Right and wrong are clear; the Church teaches them. Society should support families, punish wrongdoing, and respect tradition. She sees moral decay everywhere and fears for the next generation.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | RTP, CMTV, occasional TVI | High |
| Online | Doesn't use internet | N/A |
| Social Media | WhatsApp (family group, operated by daughter) | High (family) |
| Parish bulletin | Very High | |
| Community | Church community, neighbors, family | Very High |
Media consumption pattern: TV news at lunch and dinner, often left on as background. Parish bulletin for local/church news. Trusts TV, especially stories that confirm her worldview. Gets "internet news" filtered through children's WhatsApp messages.
Political Profile
Voting History
| Election | Vote | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Legislative | Chega | "He speaks the truth about what's happening" |
| 2022 Legislative | CDS | "Christian party, traditional values" |
| 2021 Presidential | Marcelo | "Seemed like a good man" |
| Historical pattern | CDS/PSD traditionally, now shifting to Chega |
Political Identity
- Left-Right self-placement: Doesn't use these terms; "Christian values"
- Party identification: Was CDS; now Chega-sympathetic
- Political engagement: Low—votes because it's duty; doesn't follow details
2026 Presidential Inclination
- Current leaning: Ventura (likely)
- Certainty: Likely
- Key deciding factors: Traditional values, Christian faith, anti-establishment
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Moral decline: "Families falling apart, young people with no faith, sins normalized."
- Immigration (cultural): "They don't share our faith. Portugal is Catholic."
- Grandchildren's souls: "Will they know God? Will they marry in church?"
- Healthcare access: "The hospital is 45 minutes away. At my age..."
- Loneliness: "Everyone left. The village is empty."
Hopes
For herself:
"I want to die in grace, with a priest's blessing, and be buried next to Joaquim. I want to know my children and grandchildren are safe—in this life and the next."
For Portugal:
"I hope we return to our roots. A Christian country, with families, with values. Where children respect their elders and know right from wrong."
For her grandchildren:
"I pray for them every day. That they find faith, find good spouses, raise children in the Church. That they don't become lost in this modern confusion."
Fears
Personal fears:
"Dying alone. A stroke in the night with no one to call the priest. Being sent to a home in the city."
Fears for Portugal:
"That we've lost our way forever. That Portugal becomes like those countries with no faith, no family, no children. That the Fátima message was ignored."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That my grandchildren are already lost. That everything I believed in will disappear with my generation. That I failed to pass on what matters."
"In Their Own Voice"
How she'd describe Portugal today:
"We turned away from God and now we're lost. Marriage doesn't mean anything anymore. They teach children that there are no differences between men and women. Foreigners who don't know Our Lady walk our streets. How did we fall so far?"
What she'd say to someone who disagrees with her politically:
"I don't want to argue. But I've lived 68 years. I've seen what worked and what didn't. Faith, family, community—these sustained us. What do you have to replace them?"
Her message to politicians:
"Don't forget that Portugal is a Christian country. The ones who built it, who suffered for it, who prayed for it—we still exist. We still vote. Don't abandon our values for whatever is fashionable."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Strongly Positive | Defends Christian values, traditional family, speaks plainly |
| Gouveia e Melo | Moderately Positive | Respectable, orderly, but unclear on values |
| Marques Mendes | Positive | CDS connection, traditional right |
| Seguro | Negative | PS is secular, progressive |
| Catarina Martins | Strongly Negative | Everything she opposes—feminism, secularism |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Negative | Liberal on values, doesn't speak to her |
| António Filipe | Strongly Negative | "Communist, atheist" |
Notes for Scenario Development
- Deep faith as lens for all political interpretation
- Widowhood and isolation as daily reality
- Generational disconnect with grandchildren
- Near Fátima = religious tourism economy observation
- Could interact with: grandchildren (especially secular ones), parish priest, immigrant neighbors
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: rosary routine, church scenes, watching news with commentary, grandchildren visits