{"id":5970,"date":"2014-04-05T13:01:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-05T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/brazils-bishops-take-responsibility-for-backing-junta\/"},"modified":"2014-04-05T13:01:00","modified_gmt":"2014-04-05T13:01:00","slug":"brazils-bishops-take-responsibility-for-backing-junta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/brazils-bishops-take-responsibility-for-backing-junta\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazil’s bishops take responsibility for backing junta"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Brasilia, Brazil, Apr 5, 2014 \/ 07:01 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Brazil's bishops' conference has issued a declaration acknowledging that some of its members supported the authoritarian military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1964 to 1985.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cFor New Times, with Freedom and Democracy,\u201d issued April 1, says some of the nation's bishops backed the junta with \u201cthe intention of combatting communism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe document, unprecedented among Latin American bishops' conferences, is a contribution of the Church in Brazil to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the dictatorship's beginning. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\tThe Brazilian Armed Forces staged a coup March 31, 1964, overthrowing the left-wing president Jo\u00e3o Goulart, a member of the Brazilian Labour Party.<\/p>\n

\tIt was feared that Goulart would align Brazil with Fidel Castro's Cuba, and the military installed itself as a dictatorship. During its 21 years of rule, it restricted freedom of speech and the press, as well as political opposition. For it's anti-communist stance, it was also supported by the U.S.<\/p>\n

\tThe bishops called the period of the junta one of the \u201cdarkest periods of history\u201d in Brazil: \u201cthroughout this period, student movements, laborers from rural areas and cities, intellectuals and religious groups fought arduously for democracy. Many were assassinated, tortured, exiled, or 'disappeared'.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThey recounted that \u201ca spiral of violence, the limitation of the freedom of expression, the establishment of torture and censorship, the freeze of political rights\u201d took place during those 21 years.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIn the name of a progress that was not carried out,\u201d people were displaced from their homes, and killed.<\/p>\n

\tDemocracy and civilian rule returned to Brazil with the 1984 presidential elections, after which Jose Sarney assumed office.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIf it is true that, initially, part of the Church backed the movement that led to the so-called revolution to fight against communism,\u201d the bishops' declaration stated, it is also true that \u201cthe Church did not neglect to denounce the repression as soon as it discovered that the means used by the new powerholders did not respect human dignity and human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAnother statement, issued April 27 by the Church in Brazil as well as other Christian groups in the country, examined the current situation in Brazil, urging that public interest not be subjugated to \u201cthe private interests of businesses and organizations of economic power,\u201d lamenting that there is a political culture which \u201cis, in part, a legacy of the years of dictatorship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe bishops committed themselves to \u201ca reform of the political system\u201d and stated their support for popular democracy.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe reaffirm our commitment to the deepening of a full democracy. The electoral process this year should be permeated by the central issues which guarantee the quality of democracy in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tElections for both president and the National Congress are schedule for October.<\/p>\n

\tA source close to the Brazilian bishops' conference told CNA that Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop of Aparecida and president of the conference, is not willing to take strong political stances, and wants to keep neutral in view of the upcoming political elections.<\/p>\n

\tThe source maintained that the choice of issuing such a document \u201cis driven by the need of balancing the bishops' conference, as well as the government.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe underscored that \u201cliberation theology remains strong among the members of the current administration,\u201d and that some bishops and priests as well are \u201cfascinated by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cTaking responsibility for the wrongdoing of those in the Church who backed the dictatorship\u201d also means \u201cleaving the Church's left-wingers armless,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cNo more polemics can be made about the role of the Church in the military dictatorship \u2013 and so the bishops will be able to take the middle ground in view of the upcoming elections.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brasilia, Brazil, Apr 5, 2014 \/ 07:01 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Brazil's bishops' conference has issued a declaration acknowledging that some of its members supported the authoritarian military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1964 to 1985.
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