|
Lessons of a
missionary
For
everything he
has done and has
not done; for
everything he
has said and for
that which he
has not said,
Don Hélder
Câmara can
be
considered a
missionary from
Jesus
reincarnated
in
the land of
Brazil.
 |
Don Hélder
Câmara would
have completed
100 years of
physical
existence this
year, if he was
still
reincarnated
amongst us.
He was
considered the
most important
religious person
in Brazil in
several public
opinion poll,
during several
consecutive
years and the
biggest prophet
of the 20th
century in Latin
America by the
majority of
catholic
intellectuals.
A cultured,
voracious
reader, with a
exquisite
intelligence,
he
never
|
|
betrayed
the
ideal of
simplicity
of the
gospel.
He lived
with the
most
influential
people
of the
epoch
(he was
a close
friend
of
Roberto
Marinho)
without
losing
his
simplicity
and
without
letting
himself
be stung
by the
“blue
mosca”.
A
Prophet
of the
Theology
of
Liberation
even
before
Gustavo
Gutierrez
presented
his
ideas in
1971, he
stood
out as
one of
the most
active
bishops
in the
Second
Vatican
Council
(1962 to
1965). |
As the personal
adviser of
Juscelino
Kubitcheck, he
was invited to
be the first
mayor of
Brasilia, having
refused the
invitation in a
discreet manner.
A friend of two
popes, John XXV
and Paul
VI , he always
denounced the
abuses of the
Church and its
connivance with
the mistakes of
the powerful.
As the
Archbishop of
Recife and
Olinda for many
years, he lived
amongst those
lacking and in
need, refusing
to live in an
Episcopal
palace,
preferring a
modest little
house next to
the church,
where he
answered the
phone himself.
He received 16
titles of
Honoris Doctor
causa of the
most prestigious
European and
American
universities,
but used to get
emotional in all
the masses he
carried out and
used to take his
meals in modest
restaurants and
bars, surrounded
by followers
everywhere.
For everything
he has done and
not done; for
everything he
has said and has
not said, he can
be considered a
missionary of
Jesus
reincarnated in
Brazil.
On one certain
occasion, the
federal police
knocked at his
door:
- We have come
to offer you a
security team.
If you, Sir, die
in an accident
or are
assassinated by
a maniac, the
blame will be
placed on the
military regime.
Don Hélder
thought it was
funny they had
such concern
with his safety.
In fact, that
they were
worried about
the image of
Brazil in the
world:
- It is not
needed. I have
already got
three people who
look after my
safety very
well.
The senior
police officer
was surprised:
- But we haven’t
got that in our
documents.
Nobody can have
private security
guards without
official
authorisation.
Give us their
names:
The archbishop
answered:
- Very well.
They are the
Father, the Son
and the Holy
Spirit.
“I am the small
donkey of
Domingo de
Ramos”, he said
to Mother
Theresa of
Calcutta
One night, a
poor family
resorted to him:
-
Dear
Bishop, the
police have
taken our father
by mistake,
confusing him
with a bandit.
They are beating
him up.
Don Hélder went
t the police
station.
- Bishop –
exclaimed the
police delegate
– Here?
- Yes – answered
Don Hélder -, I
have come in
search of my
brother.
- Your brother!?
- He is being
kept here. It is
so and so!
The head police
officer ordered
the immediate
release of the
prisoner.
- But you two
gentlemen are so
different – the
police officer
observed – in
skin colour and
in name!
Don Hélder did
not hesitate and
said the truth
which perhaps
the police
officer might
have not picked
up:
- It is that we
are both
children of the
same Father
(God).
|
In one of his
travels, Don
Hélder met up
with Mother
Theresa of
Calcutta. During
a friendly
conversation,
she asked him:
“Don Hélder, how
do react when
people applaud
you and clap
their hands. How
does your heart
react?” He
smiled and
answered: “I am
the small
donkey of
Domingo Ramos!
The handclaps of
the people are
not for
the
little
donkey,
but
|
 |
|
for
Jesus!! |
|
During his
ceremonial
possession as
archbishop of
Recife and
Olinda, he said:
- In the
Northeast of
Brazil, Jesus is
called Zé, Maria
and Severino.
When the priests
approached him
and called him
“Sir”, he
answered back
immediately:
- Sir is God. We
are brothers and
we call each
other “you”.
In Recife, he
found a clergy
which had
conservative
priests. Never
could anyone say
that anyone was
marginalised by
the archbishop.
He liked to
reapeat:
- If you agree
with me, confirm
to me. But, if
you disagree,
help me further
because it
forces me to
deepen my point
of view.
A good example
of how he
practiced this
occurred in
1969. Don Hélder
denounced the
tortures
practiced
against
prisoners. The
“Jornal do
Comércio”
published an
interview with
the vicar of a
central parish
of the town. The
so called
Monsignor said
that the
archbishop
defended bandits
because he was
never a victim
of their
delinquent
actions. And
concluded: “It
would be good if
he were robbed
and tortured in
order to not
defend bandits
anymore.”
The brother of
the Parish
demanded that
Don Hélder
answered at the
same level.
“For us
Christians, the
communion with
the Father seems
much simpler but
we give very
little from
ourselves in
order to live
this communion
well”
He defended the
right of priest
to manifest his
opinion,
excusing the
answer with the
following
argument:
- This from
which you accuse
me is not fair,
but I have other
sins. I accept
the accusation
of that which I
have not done so
that God
forgives me for
some evil that I
did.
During some
years, he
presided over
the mass of the
Party of Madonna
of Pleasures. In
the second year
of the party,
his car had
broken down
before the
Guararapes
Hills. The
archbishop went
up the hill by
foot. He walked
up one of the
earthy slopes
and, on the way,
he saw a house
where an Umbanda
community were
meeting. He
stopped and
entered the
house. There, he
greeted
everyone,
blessed them and
then asked them
to bless him.
Afterwards, he
retook the path
and went on to
celebrate the
mass of the
party.
When asked about
this event, he
smiled and
answered that he
had profound
admiration for
these brother
who sweat, tire
themselves out,
jump and dance
the whole night
to receive the
Spirit. He
concluded: “For
us, Christians,
the communion
with he Father
seem more simple
and, still we
give very little
of ourselves in
order to live
it. These
brothers of
Shango have much
to teach us”.
And an advice
given to Pope
Paul VI:
-Ah!. Holy
Father, it would
be so good if
you if you Sir,
could close down
the Bank of
Vatican, the
Bank of Rome,
the Catholic
Band of Veneto
and could donate
all of the
Vatican to the
Unesco, a
service for
worldwide
culture! You
Sir, could then
find a small
house, a house
of human
dimensions in
Rome and could
start to live
there. A house
facing a square
so that you
could receive
the pilgrims of
the world,
receive them as
people! How I
would like to
see you amongst
the people! The
people holding
the Pope,
pushing the
Pope, everyone
shaking the
hands of the
Pope. Naturally,
yours advisors
will say it
cannot be, that
there is even
danger of an
attack. Forgive
me, Holy Father,
but every night
I ask for the
Pope to be
killed one day.
It has been so
long that the
shepherd has not
died for his
sheep!
“If I am not
mistaken, we,
men of the
Church, should
carry out inside
it the changes
that we demand
from society”
Some of Don
Hélder’s
thoughts:
“Utopia must
never be feared.
It pleases me to
say and repeat:
when one dream
alone, is a
simple dream,
when many dream
the same dream,
it is already a
reality. Shared
utopi is the
spring of
history.”
“In the day
that youth is
measured, as
prudent and cold
as old age, the
country will die
of tedium”.
“Alas for us if
only approval
and praise are
found in our
path: we would
end up believing
in our own
self-worth,
which is
normally the
beginning of the
end.
“I
have even though
in my childhood
that Christ
might have
exaggerated when
he talked about
the danger of
richness. Today,
I
know that it is
very difficult
to be rich and
to keep human
entrails”.
“We
also have our
faults and our
sins, as we
cover up
striking social
injustices with
generous and
spectacular
alms”.
“Morality and
jurisdiction
were bad in the
Church. They are
severely
responsible for
the departure of
many, for the
indifference of
a even higher
number of
others, and by
the lack of
interest of
those who could
look upon the
Church with
sympathy, but
are taken by
despondency in
face of
hypocrisy.
“If I am not
mistaken, we,
men of the
Church, should
carry out inside
it the changes
that we demand
from society”.
“With much
frequency, we
talk about sins,
but I prefer to
talk about
weaknesses. The
more one get to
know what goes
on intimately
inside a person,
the better one
perceives that
there is more
weaknesses than
badness”.
“I say to you:
the ideal is to
have the hands
of Martha and
the heart of
Maria.”
“Those who are
not believers,
have in common
with the
believers that
the Lord
believes in
them”.
“I would like
to be a simple
water puddle to
reflect heaven”.
“When I give
food to the
poor, I am
called a saint.
When I ask why
they are poor, I
am called a
communist”.
“Always,
everywhere in
the world,
people try to
live the Gospel
truly, of course
one runs the
risk of
disappointment”.
The Creator does
not want to save
only the soul.
He wants to save
the whole man,
body and soul,
with inheritance
in heaven and
also on Earth”.
“There are
striking
miseries, before
which we have
not the right to
be indifferent”.
Many times, the
answer is to
give immediate
attendance. But
I do come to
help anyone who
mistakes
themselves by
thinking that
just a bit of
generosity and
social
assistance is
enough.
“In the war
against
injustice, 80%
of time and
efforts must be
dedicated to the
changes of
structures and
to human
promotion, but
20% must be
available to aid
the hurt, the
injured, the war
victims.”
Don Hélder
Pessoa
Câmara (Fortaleza,
7th
February 1909 –
Recife, 27th
August
1999) was a
catholic bishop,
archbishop of
Olinda and
Recife and one
of the founders
of the National
Conference of
the Bishops of
Brazil (CNBB).
Great defender
of human rights
during the
Brazilian
military regime,
preached one
Church, simple
and geared to
the poor and to
non-violence. By
his action, he
received several
national and
international
prizes. He was
the only
Brazilian
indicated for
the Noble Peace
Prize.
|
