In the main religious ceremony held this Monday (12) at the Cathedral Basilica of Aparecida (SP), the day of the Patroness of Brazil, the metropolitan archbishop of Aparecida, Dom Mário Antônio da Silva, called for disarmament and attention to hunger and the poor.
Dom Mário made the statements in the sermon at the 9am solemn mass. Among those present were the vice-president of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, and the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha.
"Whoever listens to God cannot remain indifferent in the face of hunger, poverty, violence, loneliness. He cannot remain indifferent in the face of injured families, injured children, hopeless young people, abandoned elderly people. We cannot remain indifferent in the face of wars, the destruction of nature, and so many other evils that affect us, that affect the population of Brazil and the world", highlighted the archbishop in the mass sermon.
In another part of the homily, the archbishop called for disarmament and peace.
"We know that Jesus orders the construction of peace. And here, listening to [Pope] Leo XIV, an unarmed and disarming peace. But we often fuel divisions with weapons, with wars and so many confrontations between us. The gospel, dear brothers and sisters, does not authorize us to hate those who think differently, nor to kill our enemies", he added.
Political movements regarding the patron saint
After the ceremony, in a press conference, Dom Mário was asked if he feared that Our Lady of Aparecida would lose the title of Patron Saint of Brazil. The controversy arose last month, after the circulation of information that evangelical groups linked to Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign had expressed disapproval of the title of Patron Saint with national scope.
The PL candidate, however, denied that he intended to depose Our Lady as the country's patron saint.
"I have no fear that Mary will no longer have the importance she has in the lives of the Brazilian people. The title of patron saint of Brazil was given by the Pope in 1930. And proclaimed here in Brazil, the capital was Rio de Janeiro, on May 31, 1931. So this title of Mary, patron saint of Brazil, has been around for a long time," he said.
The archbishop, however, admitted that there were “favorable and contrary” political movements, but he did not want to “make scenarios” about the future.
"I believe that political movements whether favorable or not exist today and will exist over the next few years. Of course, there are several questions about what could happen next year, depending on the second round elections. But I believe that, at the moment, it is not up to us to create scenarios that scare us or that take away from what we are experiencing today with great joy."
Romeiros
The day of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil, was marked by the visit of thousands of people to Brasílica in the city of Aparecida (SP), in the Ribeira Valley. According to estimates by the administrators of the national sanctuary, around 150,000 people are expected to pass through the site today.
During the novena of Our Lady of Aparecida, which began ten days ago and ended yesterday (11), around 500,000 people attended the sanctuary.
The solemn mass, at 9 am, was the ceremony most attended by pilgrims and packed the basilica. Even during the celebration, devotees formed a long line to pass in front of the image of Our Lady of Aparecida, located on a walkway.
Pilgrim Anderson Roberto Mendes da Costa, 47 years old, came on foot from the east side of the capital of São Paulo. He walked for 172 kilometers and had to face many difficulties to reach the sanctuary.
"It was five days of walking. It was very difficult. On the way, we got windy rain, hail. On the third day, it was very sunny. It was very difficult too, people had sunstroke. Some people got intestinal infections, but thanks to the good Lord, we managed to arrive. Even with the pain, even with the storms, we all arrived well, fulfilled with the blessings that were obtained", he said.
Rosemeire Alves Araújo Vieira, 59 years old, came from Minas Gerais on a tour and said that she asked Our Lady for a special blessing for Brazil, at the current time of the election.
"I came to thank and ask for blessings for our country, for the moment we are living in, with these elections. I came from Belo Horizonte and being here is a great emotion", he highlighted.
