Paulo Evaristo Arns
His Eminence Paulo Arns OFM | |
---|---|
Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo | |
See | São Paulo (Emeritus) |
Appointed | 22 October 1970 |
Installed | 1 November 1970 |
Term ended | 9 April 1998 |
Predecessor | Agnelo Rossi |
Successor | Cláudio Hummes |
Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Sant’Antonio da Padova in Via Tuscolana |
Orders | |
Ordination | 30 November 1945 by José Pereira Alves |
Consecration | 3 July 1966 by Agnelo Rossi |
Created cardinal | 5 March 1973 by Pope Paul VI |
Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
Personal details | |
Born | Paulo Evaristo Arns 14 September 1921 Forquilhinha, Santa Catarina, Brazil |
Died | 14 December 2016 São Paulo, Brazil | (aged 95)
Previous post(s) |
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Motto | ex spe in spem |
Coat of arms |
Styles of Paulo Evaristo Arns | ||
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Reference style His Eminence | | |
Spoken style | Your Eminence | |
Informal style | Cardinal | |
See | São Paulo (emeritus) |
Paulo Evaristo Arns
Early life and education
Paulo Steiner Arns was born as the fifth of thirteen children of the German immigrants Gabriel and Helana (née Steiner) Arns. Three of his sisters would later become nuns and one of his brothers a Franciscan. One of his sisters, Zilda Arns Neumann, a pediatrician who founded the Brazilian bishops' children's commission, was killed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
On 10 December 1943, Arns joined the Franciscans; he was ordained a priest on 30 November 1945.
From 1941 to 1943 Arns studied philosophy in
Arns then fulfilled a series of academic assignments in Brazil. He taught at the seminary of Agudos in São Paulo. He lectured as a member of the faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letters of Bauru, and had responsibilities at a number of other institutions of higher education, usually faculty positions, and became a professor at the Catholic University of Petrópolis.
Arns was elected vice-provincial of the province of the Immaculate Conception of the Friars Minor. He was the director of the monthly review for religious Sponsa Christi.[2]
Bishop and Cardinal
Pope Paul VI named Arns titular bishop of Respecta and auxiliary bishop of São Paulo on 2 May 1966. He was consecrated on 3 July 1966 by Cardinal Agnelo Rossi. The same pope appointed him Archbishop of São Paulo on 22 October 1970[3] and he was installed on 1 November. In 1973 he sold the episcopal palace, a mansion standing in its own park. Two things horrified him: the massive electricity bills and the staff of 25 sisters and brothers assigned to look after his needs. He used the money from the sale to build a social station in the favelas.[4]
He remained Archbishop of São Paulo for 28 years and managed an expansion of the church's presence and outreach by creating 43 parishes and more than 1,200 community centers. He also promoted the organization of more than 2000 basic ecclesial communities. He developed AIDS education programs and ministries for homeless children and prisoners.[4] With his sister Dr. Zilda, he founded Pastoral da Criança (Pastoral Care for Children), an organ for social action of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil.[4]
After the first meeting between Church and Freemasonry which had been held on 11 April 1969 at the convent of the Divine Master in Ariccia, he was the protagonist of a series of public handshakes between high prelates of the Roman Catholic Church and the heads of Freemasonry.[5]
In the consistory of 5 March 1973, Pope Paul VI made him Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Antonio da Padova in Via Tuscolana. He participated as a cardinal-elector in the two conclaves of 1978 that elected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II.[1]
From 1983 to 1991 he served as secretary to the
In the mid-1980s, Arns' programs for the development of priestly vocations came under fire from Vatican authorities that suspected its ties to liberation theology. The seminarians lived in eleven small communities of seven or eight and each group was tied to a base community. The seminaries also held secular jobs in order to provide support to their families during their priestly formation. Cardinal
In 1989, Arns sent a letter to
Church governance
Before Paul VI died in 1978, Arns worked with him on a plan for the division of the Archdiocese of São Paulo. It would have established subordinate dioceses under independent bishops who would share financial and institutional resources and a common pastoral plan with each other and the archdiocese.[9] It was never implemented. Instead, on 15 March 1989, the archdiocese was split into five dioceses in a way that, in Arns' view, divided the rich and the poor.[4][a] His archdiocese lost half of its population, retaining the largely middle class core of the city and isolating it from the city's "impoverished periphery". None of the bishops chosen to head the new dioceses were drawn from the list of candidates Arns had submitted.[10] He said: "everything I asked for was disregarded and the traditionalist line prevailed. It was our wish that a different way of dealing with pastoral activities in the metropolitan regions be adopted, but the Roman Curia, treating this just as any other matter, paid no heed for it. ...Because of the way it was done, the church in São Paulo is spending 10 times more in order to produce results which are 10 times smaller".[9]
Just days before submitting his resignation as Archbishop of São Paulo, as he was required to when he turned 75, Arns told a Brazilian newspaper that he had told Pope John Paul II that he allowed the Roman Curia, the central administration of the Catholic Church, "too free a rein". He said the pope had replied "You are mistaken. The curia is the pope" and that he in turn had strongly disagreed. He explained to his interviewer: "My impression is that the curia is governing the church."[9][b]
According to Boff, when Arns was celebrating Mass and recognized someone in the congregation as a priest who had married, he invited the man to concelebrate Mass with him. His stance on married priests was: "They are still priests and they will remain priests."[11]
Liberation theology
In 1968, attending the Conference of Latin American Bishops in
Arns produced letters from the Roman Curia that he believed were evidence that Boff was treated unfairly.[citation needed]
Arns always encouraged the development of the
Brazilian dictatorship
A
Arns initiated a years-long campaign against torture and made it a priority pursued by the
Arns supported the underground effort to document torture in Barzil's prison that, when smuggled out of the country, was published years later as Brasil: Nunca Mais (Brazil: Never Again) in 1985. It used trial transcripts as evidence of the torture of political prisoners, including names and dates and detailed descriptions of methods and equipment. A voluminous investigative document that chronicled the military government’s torture of political opponents, it was compiled largely in secret and used military trial transcripts to build its case.[26]
Retirement and death
Pope John Paul II accepted Cardinal Arns' resignation on 15 April 1998. Since he was past the age of 80, he did not participate in the conclave of 2005 that elected Pope Benedict XVI.[1] In 2013 he did not travel to Rome to participate as a non-elector at the conclave that chose Pope Francis.
After retiring as archbishop, Arns held the
In 2002, Arns criticised U.S. President George W. Bush for his approach to international cooperation in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, noting that "the president did not go to the United Nations to seek the opinion of everyone. He went alone to the most important governments of the world. I felt this showed a lack of world sensitivity." He condemned the war in Afghanistan as well, describing it as "a war against a nation when one man or two or three or 10 are responsible."[28]
Also in 2002, he became one of the highest-ranking members of the church to express public disagreement with the church position of clerical celibacy, claiming it was an unnecessary rule without Biblical basis. He criticised Pope John Paul II for prohibiting debate on the subject.[29]
In April 2005, during the interregnum between the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, Arns gave a wide-ranging interview assessing the former's papacy and his own years as Archbishop of Sao Paulo. Asked about Church opposition to the use of condoms to prevents the spread of AIDS, he said: "I cannot be against a decision of the pope's. If it were my decision I would be against death and for life. The use of the condoms should not be interpreted as a liberalisation of sex." He criticised the Curia for not promoting diversity of opinion within the Church and for lacking an ecumenical attitude.[6]
Pope Benedict's meeting with Arns during his visit to Brazil in 2007 was viewed as a moment of reconciliation after their earlier dispute about liberation theology.[30]
Upon the death of Cardinal
For several years before his death, Arns withdrew from public life and lived in a retreat house in Taboão da Serra on the outskirts of São Paulo.[1] After a long illness he died in a São Paulo hospital on 14 December 2016.[32] His coffin was carried into the crypt of São Paulo Cathedral on 16 December as the congregation applauded and took up the chants "viva Dom Paulo" and "courage".[33]
Distinctions
- Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award (1982)
- Nansen Refugee Award (1985)[34]
- Niwano Peace Prize (1994)[35]
- Honorary degrees
As of March 2013, he had received 24 honorary degrees,[1]
- University of Brasília
- Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás
- University of Münster
- Catholic University of Nijmegen, Netherlands[1]
- University of Notre Dame (1977)[36]
- Fordham University (1981)[37]
Selected writings
- Author
- A quem iremos, Senhor? – To Whom Shall We Go, Lord?
- A humanidade caminha para a fraternidade – Humanity on the Road toward Fraternity
- Paulo VI: Você é contra ou a favor? – Paul VI: Are you for or against?
- Cartas de Santo Inácio: Introdução, Tradução e Notas – Letters of Saint Ignatius: Introduction, Translation, and Notes
- Cartas de São Clemente Romano: Introdução, Tradução e Notas – Letters of St. Clement of Rome: Introduction, Translation, and Notes
- A guerra acabará se você quiser – Wars Will End If You Want
- Comunidade: união e ação – Community: Union and Action
- Da Esperança à Utopia – From Hope to Utopia (Autobiography)
- Translator
- Cardinal Leo Joseph Suenens, A Corresponsabilidade na Igreja de Hoje (The Coresponsibility of the Church Today)
- Cardinal Jean Daniélou, Nova História da Igreja (A New History of the Church)
See also
- Torture Never Again, an organization
Notes
- ^ The four new dioceses were Campo Limpo, Osasco, Santo Amaro, and São Miguel Paulista.
- ^ He contrasted John Paul II's governance with that of his predecessor: "With Paul VI it was different. He actually governed through the curia. He had his ear to the ground, was constantly briefed by his staff, and was truly in control of events. This was made possible because he had been part of the curia for a long time, had grown up within it, and knew everything concerning it. The present pope is much more interested in traveling, preaching, being a missionary, than watching over the curia. He leaves everything to them, with the result that they now enjoy an incomparably greater autonomy than they had under Paul VI."[9]
- ^ Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, also created a cardinal by Paul VI, was still alive but no longer a cardinal.[31]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Cardeal mais antigo, D. Evaristo Arns completa 40 anos de ordenação". Terra (in Portuguese). 4 March 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Holy See Press Office and Archives. Vatican biography of Dr Arns.
- ^ "Pope Appoints Latin to Direct Missions". New York Times. 23 October 1970. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d Alves, Lisa (14 December 2016). "Brazilian Cardinal Arns, 95, remembered for his fight for human rights". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Sandro Magister (19 August 1999). "Tra il papa e il massone non c'è comunione" [There is no communion between the pope and the Mason] (in Italian). L'Espresso.
- ^ a b Greenhaigh, Laura (10 February 2005). "The pope is a man with a divided heart: An interview with Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns of São Paulo, Brazil" (PDF). O Estado de São Paulo. National Catholic Reporter.
- ISBN 9780826413611. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Riding, Alan (5 February 1989). "Brazil Cardinal's Praise of Castro Stirs Protest". New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Cardinal Arns says pope gives his curia free rein: the pope replies, 'You are mistaken. The curia is the pope.'". National Catholic Reporter. 11 October 1996. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Brooke, James (23 April 1989). "Vatican Undercuts Leftist Theology in Brazil". New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Pongratz-Lippitt, Christa (30 December 2016). "Brazil may soon have married priests, says Leonardo Boff". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Stanford, Peter (16 December 2016). "Cardinal Paulo Everisto Arns obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ Simons, Marlise (4 September 1984). "Caution is Urged by Brazil Bishops". New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ Riding, Alan (9 September 1984). "Brazil Tests Limits of Liberation Theology". New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780307423481. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ Kamm, Henry (8 September 1984). "Friar Defends Views at Vatican Session". New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ Riding, Alan (1 April 1986). "Vatican Lifting 'Silence' Order on Brazil Friar". New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "Katrine, congratulations and incredible cheek". Malta Today. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ "The 80th Birthday of Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns". Franciscan News. 29 April 2002. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ "Dom Paulo: a voice for human rights". National Catholic Reporter. 28 February 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Novitski, Joseph (27 July 1972). "Brazil's Bishops Press for Common Man's Rights". New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
While Archbishop Camara's church career has been almost entirely involved in Brazilian politics, Archbishop Arns's has been connected with the study and teaching of philosophy. A square‐shouldered, squarejawed man of 50, Archbishop Arns holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Sorbonne. During two years in office, he has been quick and uncompromising in denouncing Government torture. But he has rejected any political role and was just as quick to condemn the recent hunger strike as morally wrong.
- ^ "Brazil's Bishops Back Torture Charges". New York Times. 18 February 1971. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Howe, Marvine (4 November 1974). "Brazil Said to Continue Torture". New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
Catholic Church leaders, most prominent among them the Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns, have also protested the continued use of torture in the interrogation of opposition suspects. The torture issue has been the principal cause of strain in church‐state relations in this largely Catholic country of 104 million people.
- ^ Howe, Marvine (25 April 1975). "Catholic Church Charges Brazil With 100 Political Arrests in '75". New York Times. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ "Issue of Torture Growing in Brazil". New York Times. 16 November 1975. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (18 December 2016). "Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns Dies at 95; Fought Torture in Brazil". New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
The report eventually led to a Brazilian truth commission report in 2014 that identified 377 individuals responsible for human rights violations and called for their prosecution.
- ISBN 9781451469745.
- ^ Hebblethwaite, Margaret (5 April 2002). "Brazil cardinal recalls battles with curia". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ Gibb, Tom (29 April 2002). "Brazil cardinal questions celibacy". BBC News. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ Allen Jr., John L. (10 May 2007). "Day Two: Benedict strikes softer tone". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ a b Bourdin, Anita (2 July 2015). "Etats-Unis: décès du cardinal Baum". Zenit (in French). Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ "Pro-Democracy Brazil Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns Dies at 95". New York Times. Associated Press. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ "Cardinal Arns's body buried amid applause in Sao Paulo". Brazil Sun. Agencia Brasil. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Nansen Medal Award Ceremony". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 7 October 1985. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ "Paulo E. Cardinal Arns 11st [sic] Recipient, 1994, Brazil". Niwano Peace Prize. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ "Carter Says Failure in the Mideast Now Could be Disastrous". New York Times. 23 May 1977. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- ^ "Six are Honored with Doctorates from Fordham". New York Times. 25 May 1981. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
Further reading
- Evanize Sydow, Marilda Ferri, Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns: um homem amado e perseguido, Editora Vozes, 1999
External links
- Media related to Paulo Evaristo Arns at Wikimedia Commons