Eine der führenden katholischen Persönlichkeiten Brasiliens, Kardinal Eugênio de Araújo Sales, der im Alter von 91 Jahren starb, wurde gestern beerdigt. Papst Benedikt XVI. würdigte den emeritierten Erzbischof in einem Beileidstelegramm am Dienstag als "unerschrockenen Hirten".
Während der Beerdigungszeremonien landete eine freigelassene Taube auf dem Sarg und "entschloss sich" dort für eine Stunde zu bleiben.
Ohne den lieben Gott fällt kein Sperling vom Himmel und landet auch keine Taube auf einem Sarg...
Während der Beerdigungszeremonien landete eine freigelassene Taube auf dem Sarg und "entschloss sich" dort für eine Stunde zu bleiben.
Ohne den lieben Gott fällt kein Sperling vom Himmel und landet auch keine Taube auf einem Sarg...
Folgende Ausführungen zum Leben von Kardinal Eugênio de Araújo Sales machte ein Kommentator bei Father Zuhlsdorf.
Prof. Basto says:
Indeed. The white dove was released by a Red Cross volunteer as the casket arrived at the Cathedral. The dove “decided” to stay on top of the coffin even as it was carried in procession by the Guard of Honor. Then the coffin was laid at the foot of the Altar, and still the dove remained above the casket. It flew during certain moments, always inside the Cathedral, and then always returned to the coffin or to its side, and this indeed lasted for an hour.
Cardinal Sales was not only Archbishop Emeritus of Rio de Janeiro, but he was also the Cardinal Protopriest of Holy Roman Church, , since 2009 when the previous Protoprete died.
Since then he had also become the longest serving living Cardinal in the Catholic Church. At the time of his death, he was the last Cardinal to have been created in the consistory of April 28, 1968. With his death, there are no remaining Cardinals that were raised to the Sacred College before the introduction of the Novus Ordo Missae: he was the last surviving Cardinal to have been created before the introduction of the Novus Ordo.
He entered the minor seminary in 1936 and the major seminary in 1937. Ordained a priest in 1943, he undertook pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Natal, where he was incardinated, from 1943 until his elevation to the Episcopacy. Venerable Pope Pius XII raised him to the Episcopate, by appointing him auxiliary Bishop of Natal. He was consacrated a Bishop on August 15, 1954.
John XXIII gave him the first leadership of a See, when he was made Apostolic Administrator of Natal in 1962. He attended the Second Vatican Council, and in 1964 Pope Paul VI transferred him to the Primatial See of São Salvador da Bahia, also as Apostolic Administrator sede plena.
On October 29, 1968 he was promoted to Metropolitan Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia, and thereby became ex officio the Primate of Brazil. Archbishop Sales was created a Cardinal on April 28, 1969, and given the title of cardinal-priest of the Roman parish of St. Gregory VII.
After the death of Cardinal Jaime de Barros Camara, Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Pope Paul VI decided to transfer Cardinal Sales to the culturally more significant See of Rio de Janeiro (this meant that Sales lost the position of Primate, but was now responsible for a larger Archdiocese, much like what happened recently to Cardinal Scola when he was transferred from the Patriarchate of Venice to the Archdiocese of Milan). Cardinal Sales was appointed Archbishop of Rio on March 13, 1971, and he took possession of his new See on March 27, 1971.
He took part in the August and October 1978 Conclaves, acted as Papal Legate during a National Eucharistic Congress in 1970; took part in several assemblies of the Synod of Bishops and plenary meetings of the College of Cardinals, as well as in the recent Days of Reflection and Prayer summoned by Benedict XVI on the eve of Cardinal-creating consistories. After his retirement, twice he served as Special Papal Envoy of Pope John Paul II, once in Brazil itself and once in Portugal. Chosen by bl. John Paul II, he was President-delegate of the Special Assembly for the Americas of the Synod of Bishops. He was also Ordinary in Brazil for the faithful of Oriental Rite without their own Ordinary, from 1972 until 2001.
His resignation as Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro was only accepted after he had already achieved the age of 80 years, although the letter of resignation, first presented according to canon law when the Cardinal turned 75, was reiterated a few times in the following years. He completed the age of 80 years on November 8, 2000, and his resignation was finally accepted on July 25, 2001, when he had already lost the right to vote in a Papal Conclave and his membership in the dicasteries of the Roman Curia by reason of age. He remained Apostolic Administrator of Rio de Janeiro until the installation of his successor on September 22, 2001, and remained Ordinary of the Faithful of Oriental Rite without their own Ordinary until October 3, 2001.
A Cardinal for 43 years, a Bishop for 57 years, a priest for 68 years. According to my parish priest, he always knelt in prayer before going to a meeting with the Supreme Pontiff. No wonder he was considered “the Holy See’s man” in Brazil.
