(EDITOR’S NOTE: Recently Father James Maciejewski, editor of the BULLETIN, wrote to Father George Appel, and American missionary working in Brazil. Father Maciejewski asked Father Appel to comment on the political situation in Brazil, the reports of priests being beaten and tortured and on the country’s Archbishop Helder Camara (“Dom Helder”). Abstracts of Father Appel’s comments are given here.)

Let me begin with a date: March 31, 1964. With the threat of a Communist takeover, the military took over the government. The regime was not too tough on its opponents. One could criticize the government, even in print.

Let me cite one example. In 1967, the national University Students Union was forbidden to hold its annual meeting because it was considered too punk. They arranged a clandestine meeting with the Superior of the American Holy Cross Brothers and also the Prior of an American Benedictine foundation in the State of Sao Paulo incredibly consenting to having the students meet in their colegio and convent.

I remember going down to the Headquarters of the Federal Secret Police where 5-6 of these American Brothers and monks were held for questioning. Incredibly, in front of the Headquarters were fully-robed Brazilian Dominicans with their protest posters, defending indirectly at least, the American prisoners.

The joke is that the Brazilian Dominicans have been traditionally and violently anti-American. I recall talking to the Holy Cross Superior about his experiences with the Brazilian Gestapo. He was scared stiff but not a hair was touched.

PS: American passports do TALK in Brazil and besides in that context (What is the Watergate phrase?) torture of prisoners was almost minimal.

MARTIAL LAW

Let us jump to December 1968. Martial law decreed. All human rights were taken away, including habeas corpus. Legislatures suspended. Hundreds of politicians “canned” and deprived of political rights for 10 years. What in the world had happened?

In Rio de Janeiro, a federal Senator and journalist was truly anti-military. In his newspaper column he urged his readers to boycott the annual Independence Day military parade. Later, he hit the military boys right in the groin, suggesting that nice Brazilian families should not let their daughters date Army or Navy or Air Force personnel.

That was a body blow and the military junta over-reacted. They demanded that Congress withdraw the Senator’s immunity so that he could be arrested and “properly” punished. Congress in a surprising vote refused to do so. I, and many others, interpreted the vote as loyalty to a colleague. The Army boys had another interpretation. Brazil was in danger of another Communist takeover.

The Martial Law bears the nice title of Institutional Act No. 5. It “protects” Brazil, so says the military, but it makes a face of a republican form of government. You can be arrested and tortured and “disappeared” legally, if you are deemed SUBVERSIVE.

Let me just mention that we have “celebrated’ the fifth anniversary of this infamous act.

Censorship means that no one, in the press, radio or TV can refer to the fact that this “emergency measure” is now a soccer-playing five-year-old lad.

PRIESTS ARRESTED

Have priests been arrested, tortured, imprisoned and deported? The answer is a loud YES. Recently, I saw a little book, published in Italy, which lists over a thousand people in Brazil who have suffered for their defense of justice and human rights.

How many of them are priests? I would put the total at about 50: Dutch, French, Polish, Belgian and Italian missionaries. Americans? To my knowledge, three have been arrested and deported without any torture whatsoever. Brazil is so linked economically and military-wise to your 50 States that it could not even think of harming a hair or three of the padre Americano.

DOM HELDER

Dom Helder? I was away from Brazil when he was the famous auxiliary-bishop of Rio, the apostle of the slum dwellers. The first time I heard him speak in public (when he could speak in public, back in 1967) I thought he was an out and out demagogue, a la Couglin.

The second time was in a very poor parish in Recife, his archdiocese. It was 8 p.m. He came by bus. He had preached five times that Sunday. The lights were dim in the church. I thought that I was listening to Jesus Christ.

What do I think about Dom Helder? I can agree with the priests of his archdiocese, both Brazilian and foreign, that he is saint, in the full sense of the Sermon on the Mount. I can agree that he is a prophetic figure. To me he is an Amos.

But I am frankly disappointed with Dom Helder in that I wanted him to be the leader of the Brazilian hierarchy, as he seemed to be headed years ago when he was executive secretary of the Bishops’ Conference.

Let me cite one instance of his prudence, which should be the cardinal virtue of all bishops. At the 1970 annual meeting of some 240 Brazilian bishops or more, Dom Helder arrives on time, explains that he has speaking dates in Europe, etc. and must leave on the morrow.

Maybe we will allow for his form of “protest” against the vast majority of the bishops who are so super-conservative that they are in incestuous union with the military boys. But Helder's followers among the bishops, too few in number, were let down.

Another year, it is 1971. Dom Helder arrives. Stays. Mouth shut. Next to last day of meeting. Bishops insist that he be principal concelebrant of final Eucharist. It is his birthday. His homily is a gem. At last session, bishops stand and demand that he speak about the problems of the Northeast.

Is Dom Helder persecuted? Indirectly, at every turn. Complete censorship in newspaper, radio or TV. His name is a non-entity. Last spring, I happened to be in Los Angeles and read of the Northeast bishops document on poverty and injustice in THE TIMES. Such a document is obviously subversive and cannot be published in Brazil safely by the Document Service of the Bishops Conference, months after.

Interesting sequel. Cardinal Vincent Sherer, too-old Archbishop of Porto Alegre, is a darling to the military. Priests belong in the sacristy, according to him. In his radio program he attacked the Northeast bishops and their document. Military censors picked it up and ordered Sherer’s attack published nationally.

Another archbishop wrote a beautiful public letter, thanking the Cardinal, because his nice words had enabled many Brazilians to know of the Northeast document for the first time.