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PDF versionVatican's point man for religious life: 'We've started to listen again'
by John L Allen Jr on Jul. 05, 2011
From time to time, Vatican officials are accused of living in a bubble, detached from the complex and sometimes harsh realities facing ordinary people. However accurate that may be in individual cases, it’s certainly not the story of Brazilian Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz, 64, appointed in January as the new prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Consider these details from his biography:
- Bráz grew up in a poor family in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, with four brothers and three sisters – the youngest sister, today 47, has Down’s syndrome. His father was a butcher.
- His surroundings were so rural that when a child was born, the family had to travel by horse-drawn carriage for 25 miles to have the baby baptized. A priest visited their area once a month, so popular lay leaders were in charge of catechism, worship, and devotional life.
- As a young priest, Bráz was once on his way to a village to say Mass when he stumbled upon an armored car robbery. He was shot during the crossfire, with bullets perforating his lungs and intestines and one eye. Although he survived and surgeons were able to save his eye, he still carries fragments of those bullets in his body.
In a recent interview with the prestigious Italian journal 30 Giorni, Bráz, who's very close to the Focolare movement and its spirituality of unity, spoke about his upbringing as well as the challenges he faces as the Vatican’s point man for religious life. The interview was conducted by veteran journalist Gianni Valente.
With striking candor, Bráz refers to a breakdown in trust between the Vatican and many religious orders because of "some positions taken previously." The reference is to his predecessor, Slovenian Cardinal Franc Rodé, who repeatedly decried a “crisis” in religious life following the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), related in part to what Rodé regarded as excessively liberalizing currents in some communities.
Without denying that there are problems, Bráz said, his main aim is to “rebuild trust” by approaching issues in a new way – “without preemptive condemnations,” he said, “and by listening to people’s concerns.”
Bráz, whose early years as a seminarian and priest coincided with the rise of Liberation Theology in Latin America, offers a largely positive evaluation of that movement, and expresses admiration for heroes of progressive Catholicism such as Archbishops Oscar Romero of El Salvador and Hélder Câmara of Brazil. He also discusses the ongoing visitation of women religious in the United States, as well as the Legionaries of Christ.
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Among other things, Bráz reveals that when he was the Archbishop of Brasilia, he removed his seminarians from seminaries operated by the Legionaries out of concern for what he saw as a "lack of trust in personal freedom."
The following are excerpts from the interview, in an NCR translation.
* * *
In Latin America, you found yourself facing the emergence of Liberation Theology.
We were idealists. We wanted to devote our lives to something great. The option for the poor gave us great hope, above all for those of us who came from poor families. We were ready to give up everything, even the seminary, if that impulse had not been welcomed and embraced by the ecclesial realities in which we lived.
With the passage of time, what judgment do you make of the ecclesial period associated with Liberation Theology?
Different things can be said. In Brazil, some of the pastoral groups from that era which were most driven in the direction of liberation theology today have been transformed into NGOs with a great deal of money, having left the church. They said they wanted to change the church, but the faith dropped off and what was left was sociology. That can’t help but make one sad. Yet I remain convinced that in this period, something great happened for the entire church. For example, there’s now awareness that human sin creates structures of sin. Also, the preference for the poor is God’s choice, as one sees in the Gospel.
In the early Christian communities, the four pillars which carried the faith were fidelity to the doctrine of the apostles, the Eucharist, prayer, and finally a fraternal communion which was not sentimentalism but something practical – helping the widows and the orphans, pooling goods together. On that basis, one could see that the community lived in the presence of its Lord. Today we hide our goods away, locking them up tight, even in religious communities.
Sometimes, it’s said that Liberation Theology remains an imminent threat.
Yes, sometimes it seems that Liberation Theology is a ghost to be invoked whenever it suits someone. Many things have changed. In many countries, those who once fought against the powerful, like Lula [in Brazil], who were even guerilla warriors, today are in government. There’s been a whole evolution, and it’s time for everyone in the church to realize it.
In Brazil, from the time of independence, there’s always been a strong power that I would call “the power of money.” It’s the power, for example, which continues to resist a real agrarian reform. It’s never had a truly close relationship with the church, and not even with the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The church does not receive financial support from the state, and even the churches are built solely by funds from the people. Usually, those who give the most are the most poor.
What do you think of the beatification cause of Oscar Romero?
There are always details that have to be carefully evaluated in beatification causes, including scientific matters related to a requested miracle. That said, I believe that in terms of living a holy life, Romero is a great example. He was a bishop who, with the episcopacy, received in a very clear way the grace of being a pastor of his people in a situation marked by terrible violence. The same thing happened in Brazil with Dom Hélder Câmara. When we heard him speak during the military regime, he made us tremble with emotion. He was a person who enchanted us, a man of prayer. I think there are many such people who, slowly, with time, we understand better. We can see that their whole life was impregnated [by prayer], because they would not have offered their lives as they did. Câmara always lived aware of the possibility that he might be killed. They didn’t kill him only out of fear for how the people would have reacted. Instead, they sent pretty clear warnings: Instead of the bishops, they killed the secretaries of the bishops, as happened with the secretary of Dom Hélder.
How has your work in the Congregation for Religious begun?
We’ve had to confront many difficulties. There was little trust on the part of the religious, on account of some positions taken previously. Now, the focal point of the work is precisely that of rebuilding a relationship of trust. I work together with the secretary of the congregation, Archbishop Joseph Tobin. We talk a lot, so that decisions are taken in common.
How is the inspection of the women’s religious congregations in the United States going?
That, too, has not been an easy matter. There was mistrust and opposition. We’ve spoken with them, and their representatives have come here to Rome. We’ve started to listen again. That’s not to say there aren’t problems, but we have to deal with them in a different way, without preemptive condemnations and by listening to people’s concerns. By now, we’ve received many reports which we have to work through. There’s also the relationship with Mother Clare Millea [appointed by the Vatican to head the visitation], which will be important.
What does the scandal surrounding the founder of the Legionaries of Christ mean to you?
Certainly it’s painful when you see the expansion of a movement that presents itself as charismatic, and then the unworthiness of its initiator is revealed. How such a thing is possible remains a mystery, and the Legionaries aren’t the only instance. In Brazil, we had the case of Toca de Assis. It was a community which wore a Franciscan-style habit and which got a lot of attention, inserting itself into the Canção nova [a Brazilian network of groups loosely affiliated with the charismatic movement]. They created a strong image of themselves, with brothers who claimed to render glory to God by singing and dancing. They had recruited six hundred young men. It was later discovered, however, that the founder engaged in morally unworthy behavior with his followers.
As far as the Legionaries go, I was never convinced by the lack of trust in personal freedom that I saw in their structures. It was an authoritarianism that sought to dominate everything with discipline. I took the seminarians of Brasilia out of their seminaries, because I saw that things couldn’t go on that way.
Finally, something good out
Finally, something good out of the Vatican!
"some of the pastoral groups
"some of the pastoral groups from that era which were most driven in the direction of liberation theology today have been transformed into NGOs with a great deal of money, having left the church. They said they wanted to change the church, but the faith dropped off" ........I completely disagree....they did not leave the church.....the church rejected them and left them......the greatest enemy of Liberation Theology was John Paul II......rather than battle a lost cause, they found another way to serve the people, and sadly, it was not through the Church.
If JPII was the greatest
If JPII was the greatest enemy of Liberation Theology then I choose to agree with Blessed (soon to be saint) JPII of Holy Mother Church. You don't abandon ship because the captain doesn't agree with you. One can serve the people in many ways without leaving the Church. I trust the Church. Jesus gave the keys to Peter (the first pope) and not to Linda, or Jane, or Frank, etc. for a very good reason. Think about it.
Sounds like someone who
Sounds like someone who should be elected Papa..looks like John xxiii too..
Thank God we have a fully
Thank God we have a fully human person as a representative of religious life within the Church. Brazil continues to show us the way to proceed in so many ways. Viva Brazil!
What a holy and enlightened
What a holy and enlightened man of the church!
It is with a sense of deep
It is with a sense of deep gratitude that I now feel we have someone in the Vatican with whom we can relate and come to trust because of their love and concern for us.
Thank you, Archbishop Goao Braz de Aviz and Archbishop Joseph Tobin for your love and care of us and for your undeerstanding of how we have been hurt by some leaders in Rome.
iT'S TOO LATE FOR ME! BYE BYE
iT'S TOO LATE FOR ME! BYE BYE RC CHURCH.
People and appointments like
People and appointments like this and Joe Tobin give me renewed hope in the structure of the Church. I just hope more things like this keep happening.
I am a brazilian myself and I
I am a brazilian myself and I am not very happy at the appointing of such a fan of liberation theology to a high position in Vatican. Liberation theology is theology without god. It is based on an atheistic, gnostic cosmovision, and is destroying latin-america Catholic Church from inside. Indeed, while the brazilian Catholic Church boasts its preference for the poor the poor shows its preference for evangelical churchs.
Thank you for introducing me
Thank you for introducing me to Archbishop Braz. I look forward to learning more about him and his ministry.
Very incouraging; hopefully,
Very incouraging; hopefully, this will lwad to trust which should exist between the religious orders and the Vatican committies, something which was sorely lacking under the previous administration.
This man and Tobin could be
This man and Tobin could be able to recreate trust with the various women religious. I hope and pray they succeed.
Interesting comments. We
Interesting comments. We shall see what will transpire; lots of work to correct this debacle. The bishop had the headquarters of the Instituto das Apóstolas do Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Millea's community)in Parana.
Bravo for you, Dom Braz. May
Bravo for you, Dom Braz. May the Vatican benefit from a new man in the block.
Does this mean when
Does this mean when scientists particularly embryologists talk to the Roman Bishops that they will smile and reject their observations straight forwardly as they have in the past? Does this mean when women ask Rome why there can be no women priests that these men will again smile and not give a creditable answer? The answer that they have given in the past that women do not meet the requirement in terms of matter is more than ridiculous. Does this mean that when people ask Rome and their home diocese how the Bishops are using and spending the gifted money that the Bishops will again smile and say something like we will remain open in all our financial dealings just as they have in the past? Does this type of listening mean that the Bishops will continue to lie to the People of God? Does this mean that Bishops will listen to whistle blowers who report all sexual misconduct especially rape?
There is an alternative but that would require the Roman Bishops to face up to the truth and simply quit lying about their authority. They have no right to run the Church as if Bishops and particularly the Bishop of Rome can act as an authoritarian. Come on Roman Catholic Episcopacy, man up to truth. If you are now willing to do that then people will not be waisting their time that attempt to communicate with you! Until you men can be truthful you will have no integrity.
The appointment of this
The appointment of this bishop is a godsend. It surely gives me hope!
Of course this Brazilian
Of course this Brazilian Archbishop is to be welcomed. He is certainly more grounded and in touch with reality than his questioner. But what does it say about an organisation that can say "Rejoice, now we have a nice guy to fix up the mess created by his deaf predecessor? Where is the continuity? What does it say about the culture of the Roman Curia that is provides a suitable place for people like Cardinal Rodé? Or for Cardinal Medina when he was in charge of liturgy over at CDW? So now we have this new translation as a result of his whims. These guys were aggressive and insolent. They acted as if they were infallible and we have been left with what they have done to the culture of the whole church. It is very sad indeed.
Want to buy a bridge? Pardon
Want to buy a bridge? Pardon my skepticism. More Vatican PR Spin?
The Brazilian may have good intentions, but the Curia and Ratzinger will have the last say.
Thanks for the opportunity to
Thanks for the opportunity to read about our living saints.
With men like João Bráz de
With men like João Bráz de Aviz in important offices, one can hope for a change in tone and over time, perhaps, a willingness to discuss policies and move ahead in areas like the structures of ordained pastoral ministries. I am especially impressed by the stress he places on the realities having changed in places like Brazil.
I have been a fan of NCR for
I have been a fan of NCR for a long time... not as far back as its
founding, but almost. I have always been of the opinion..."If you REALLY
want to know what is going on in our Church...You read the NCR". I also
believe that Vatican II was the greatest gift of THE HOLY SPIRT that I
could have received in my lifetime. NCR has always fostered the spirit and teachings of Vatican II...thus my devotion. Yes, I am one of the "old","gray heads" whose opinion does not count for much by some, but all I can say to you is..."Your loss is My gain...you probably have not tasted the "sweet wine"
What I am leading up to...is my confidence in NCR has led me to be hopeful in appointment of Archbishop Joao Braz de Aniz. Thank You, John Allen, for the excerpts from your interview with the Archbishop. It gives me hope and courage to hear "We've started to listen, again"
(the only dark shadow that lingers...the appointment comes from Rome where all credibily is null)
Padre Roberto sofre
Padre Roberto sofre retaliações e difamações daqueles que tentam destruir a Igreja: teólogos da Libertação e maçons elesiásticos.
Pe. R. Lettieri, Jesus diz “Bem-aventurados sois vós, quando vos injuriarem e perseguirem e, mentindo, disserem todo o mal contra vós por minha causa”. (Mt 5.11)
I am very encouraged by the
I am very encouraged by the wisdom and compassion of this man. My theology was formed by liberation theology and so was the course of my life.
Thanks for another great
Thanks for another great article, John. Just an FYI, though, trisomy 21 is correctly known as "Down syndrome," (not Down's syndrome).
Too little, too late? The
Too little, too late? The only problem is that so many people have stopped LISTENING to these born-again LISTENERS to even care....
This sounds good. Maybe it
This sounds good.
Maybe it will ripple into the present Franciscan Order in Australia and the Rescript of Legitimation according to Canon 1139 requested by one of it's beloved charismatic friars for his child and mother, will be granted at long last.
Praise the Lord and no more ammunition.
Thank God!A real,good,and
Thank God!A real,good,and honest Brazilian bishop! How refreshing to learn that he feels trust has to be rebuilt! In today's hierarchal climate such a normal and wholesome approach seems to be unusual, rather than the norm!
Teamed up with him is an American bishop who also seems normal and wholesome and also ready to listen and open lines of communication!
At last, maybe now the leaders will begin to give the Holy Spirit a proper place and finally listen to God's Spirit and to God's Holy People! Sing praise to the LORD!
I would be interested in what
I would be interested in what impact, if any, the Archbishop's appointment will have on the traditional orders such as the Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits.
You could be right to query
You could be right to query that Tom.
Some time ago, in a duck shoving instance, the then Melbourne Archdiocese Administrator Bishop Peter Connors wrote, "he had no duristriction over the Franciscan Order which had been exempt from episcopal governance for may centuries", presumably, other orders would be the same.
I suppose the Pro-Nuncio remains the way to go as the diplomatic and Canon Law process, just as well he has a secretary or two.
http://fratresinunum.com/2011
http://fratresinunum.com/2011/07/05/bomba-de-roma-dom-joao-braz-de-aviz-...
Gentlemen readers,
Please visit this link and follow the negative repercursion statements of Don John in Brazil caused.
There are ninety-eight comments of indignation by his claims to Priest Roberto Lettieri.
Rosana
Gentlemen readers, Please
Gentlemen readers,
Please visit this link and follow the negative repercursion statements of Don John in Brazil caused.
There are ninety-eight comments of indignation by his claims to Priest Roberto Lettieri.
http://fratresinunum.com/2011/07/05/bomba-de-roma-dom-joao-braz-de-aviz-...
O Brasil ama o Pe.Roberto
O Brasil ama o Pe.Roberto Lettieri!!!!
vPe. Roberto tem ajudado a muitos a compreender o mistério do Santo Sacríficio, por meio do seu sacerdócio. Incomodou muito, a maçonaria no Brasil, esclarecendo seus laços luciferianos,enquanto pregava, foi diversas vezes ameaçado pela mesma.. Dom João, com suas palavras, não agiu sozinho, tenham certeza que muitos “Vermelhos” falaram por suas palavras.
Don Juan is frivolous
Don Juan is frivolous accusation to Pr.Roberto!
Why do not you publish the
Why do not you publish the comments of Brazil?
CATECISMO DA IGREJA
CATECISMO DA IGREJA CATÓLICA
2477. O respeito pela reputação das pessoas proíbe toda e qualquer atitude ou palavra susceptíveis de lhes causar um dano injusto (236). Torna-se culpado:
– de juízo temerário, aquele que, mesmo tacitamente, admite como verdadeiro, sem prova suficiente, um defeito moral do próximo;
– de maledicência, aquele que, sem motivo objectivamente válido, revela os defeitos e as faltas de outrem a pessoas que os ignoram (237);
– de calúnia, aquele que, por afirmações contrárias à verdade, prejudica a reputação dos outros e dá ocasião a falsos juízos a seu respeito.
2478. Para evitar o juízo temerário, cada um procurará interpretar em sentido favorável, tanto quanto possível, os pensamentos, as palavras e os actos do seu próximo:
«Todo o bom cristão deve estar mais pronto a interpretar favoravelmente a opinião ou afirmação obscura do próximo do que a condená-la. Se de modo nenhum a pode aprovar, interrogue-se sobre como é que ele a compreende: se ele pensa ou compreende menos rectamente, corrija-o com benevolência; e se isso não basta, tentem-se todos os meios oportunos para que, compreendendo-a bem, ele regresse do erro são e salvo» (238).
2479. A maledicência e a calúnia destroem a reputação e a honra do próximo. Ora, a honra é o testemunho social prestado à dignidade humana e todos gozam do direito natural à honra do seu nome, à boa reputação e ao respeito. Por isso, a maledicência e a calúnia lesam as virtudes da justiça e da caridade.
Liberation theology is a
Liberation theology is a worldly revolutionary socialist/marxist ideology dressed up in christian clothes. I agree with Fernanando's assessment of this strain of activism. People often invoke Jesus's words during his Sermon on the Mount to justify it. But Jesus was not speaking about a political movement that would overthrow the existing world socio-economic world order bur rather in praise of those who work for the Kingdom of God on earth to win over the hearts of men and women. The epitome of Jesus is not some modern day cigar-chewing militant in a biretta with a bandolier slung across his chest but is rather best exemplified by the martyr Archbishop Romero whose initial tepid ministry was irrevocably changed by the life-giving words of the gospels.
Those who still defend the
Those who still defend the Legionaries should be referred to what the new prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has to say about it.
I agree with Fernando
I agree with Fernando concerning the distortion of the Christian social doctrine of solidarity with the poor and afflicted by associating it with the very politicized liberation theology. This ideology is heavily focused on structures and not on the inward disposition of people that Christ emphasized. The Sermon on the Mount is often cited to justify the support for liberation theology. But the freedom that Jesus was advocating was in the conversation of people to a lifestyle compatible with the gospel where service and humility are paramount. Christ was looking to build up His Kingdom on earth so that salvation would be near at hand for those who modeled their lives on His and was not falsely promising some earthly utopia constructed upon a worldly philosophy.
Archbishop Broz faces
Archbishop Broz faces Herculean challenges .The Augean Stables left by hs predecessor must be daunting. I am happy and impressed that he recognizes the problem and names it.
A number of tests, not of his goodwill but of his power and authority, remain to be faced. To name but a few:
1. Will the injustice perpetrated on the Australian Bishop William Morris be acknowledged and amends made?
2. Will it be permissible without punishment for religious congregation leaders and for bishops and clergy to openly discuss the desirability of ordination of women and of a married pastoral clergy?
3. Will it be possible for religious to openly recognize the legitimacy of using artificial birth control to limit family size?
If the Archbishop can pass even one of these tests, his appointment is a great step forward for our Church. If he can't pass any of them, his appointment simply means that, for awhile, matters won't get any worse in the Vatican's dealings with religious congregations and bishops who wish to promote and protect the great work of Vatican II.
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