The Diocese of California has entered a companion diocese relationship with the Diocese of Curitiba in the Igreja Episcopal do Brasil. Yes, that Curitiba - of the Curitiba Statement that we endorse.The Rev. Francisco Silva, at his blog Kantinho do Rev, recently announced acts of violence against the Church in Curitiba.
He writes:
In an act of extreme violence, employees of powerful landowners destroyed, among other buildings, the chapel of an Episcopal Church at the Primeiros Passos Camp, located road side of the BR 369, near the city of Cascavel.In a clear example of doing the right thing, he notes:
The invasion occurred in the early morning hours of May 08, with the participation of tractors, excavators, retro-excavators and weapons of large caliber.
The intimidation occurred in a context of serious tensions between landowners and social organizations. The Episcopal Church and fellow Christian’s churches are firmly defending and supporting the Movement of Landless People in the west of the Paraná state. The Episcopal priest in the area is the Revd. Luiz Carlos Gabas, and he is supporting the families in build a school(also destroyed at the attack) for children and the chapel. The chapel was planned to be dedicated on May 18 and was built with great effort by the whole community.
The destruction of the chapel becomes even more symbolic because it represents a clear message from landowners against the Church.
The IEAB has been firm in defending the rights and dignity of small rural workers and especially the landless which lives in sub-human conditions along the roads and land occupied.Read it all here.
This is living the Baptismal Covenant.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?Pray for the Church in Brazil.
I will, with God's help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God's help.
--the BB
3 comments:
Good God please have mercy on us all. How tragic.
Thanks for this post, Paul. I put something up last week about this but not one f***ing response.
Maybe everyone's too worked up about dem Global South wankers.
Padre, I knew I had seen this in at a couple of places. Last week I was not very responsive in the threads (and I have been skimming a lot rather than savoring the posts of my friends, alas). Thank YOU for getting the word out.
When I focused long enough to realize it was Curitiba, I knew I could not let it pass in silence, esp. with my "Curitiba Statement Compliant" logo in the sidebar.
Would that more folks were aware that there are a lot of sensible Global Center folks out there. Sigh.
As Fran says, on many occasions: "Good God, please have mercy on us all."
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