Wednesday, March 14, 2012

João Braz de Aviz: A Brazilian at the service of a universal Church

“When I arrived in Rome,” João Braz de Aviz - who was called by Pope Benedict XVI to lead the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life - told Vatican Insider  “I didn’t know that the situation was the way it is - which is, however, objective. There were great difficulties due to the positions we had taken. Without any polemics, we have mostly tried to rebuild trust.”

For the Brazilian, appointed cardinal by the Pope on 18 February, a little over a year since he began working in the Vatican, it is time to reflect back on his time there. First of all from his own personal point of view.

At first when he arrived in Rome, after his post as Bishop of Brasilia, a diocese of two and a half million people and 400 priests, he felt lonely.“ I had a very direct relationship with the people. In Rome there is a more serious ethos, which doesn’t favour interpersonal relationships as much. It is a very good ethos that deeply purifies us, but it also makes us somewhat suffer.”

Then there was the impact with the ‘machine’ that is a large international organization such as the Vatican, a ‘mountain of papers’ behind which it is hard to remember there is a person. 

“This is where the problems lie. It is logical. However it’s necessary to understand, be discerning, wait, work with other people and find a way to be of help, rather than judge and condemn.”

There has been no shortage of problems, from the paedophilia scandal in the Church to the Legionaries of Christ, to the controversial Vatican inspection of the American nuns, which begun many years ago amidst great criticism, to the seemingly irreversible (at least in the West) crisis of many religious orders with centuries if not millennia long traditions.

On the matter of abuse, for example, a final report is about to be completed following the ‘apostolic visit’ to the Church of Ireland. “I think the situation has greatly improved thanks to an intense collaboration,” said the cardinal.

A final report is currently being drafted and is to include the matter of American nuns. The “great initial tension” according to the Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life “is already dissipating,” also because accusations such as that regarding their wish to have access to the priesthood (which ‘the Catholic Church sees as inconceivable’, as Braz de Aviz reiterated) could not be brought forward against all ‘nuns in the United States’ without distinction.

What is really necessary is to rethink the role of women beyond the “cultural boundaries which forced them to remain subservient, even within the Church, in many ways. Ways that need to be rectified without, however, taking away from women their natural role, which is to give love.”

“This is a complex problem” underlined the cardinal “because it calls into question the Church's entire structure of authority.” This issue has become particularly evident since the Legionaries of Christ in the last few weeks have been experiencing a real exodus especially from the female ranks.

“They lost almost three hundred consecrated women,” the cardinal said. “What is most worrying,” he added “is that at times the Legionaries aren’t aware of what is happening within their own movement.” The overly severe discipline is partly to blame, as well as the fact that the leaders have too much power, sometimes in matters which the Church has never relinquished authority over, like the questions of spiritual guidance and confessions.”

According to the cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI has been a wonderful model of behaviour in the face of the recent crisis. He said: “We spoke openly, always with great honesty because the Pope likes transparency. He was brave in admitting there are problems.” Benedict XVI is a man capable of facing problems without losing the ability to be discerning and have his say. His ‘method’ according to the Brazilian cardinal is to ‘recognize the truth’ and express it with simplicity, without impositions.

The Pope has ‘an extraordinarily mature attitude’ according to Braz de Aviz. This, however, is in contrast with the recent news of a Vatican that seems full of anonymous letters and poisons. “If there are problems the best thing to do is to call them by their name,” said the cardinal on the matter. “It’s non nice of someone to try to take advantage of this situation and make a profit from it, by acting in an incorrect manner. I don’t know how it happened and we are all trying to understand how it did.”

For the Brazilian cardinal who has never denied his admiration for liberation theology (which highlights that the best option for the poor is an ‘evangelical one’, without which the Gospel could not be lived) the Church needs also to continue along the path of finding a new balance between the Northern and the Southern parts of the world.

Many noticed that Braz de Aviz was the only South American to be appointed cardinal, against, for example, seven Italians. Naturally the decision concerning the appointment of new cardinals rests with the pope. However the prefect added, “In Brazil there are only 10 cardinals. But of these, 7 already hold emeritus titles. We are in a time of great change.”

Aside from figures, the cardinal wanted to emphasize that globalization is a “very positive phenomenon, because it makes us understand that all the world is one big family.” “We are on a journey,” he concluded. 

“The Church plays its part and has its shadows, which will actually greatly improve things, because they help us to become purer.”