Archbishop of Brasília new Prefect of Religious

(January 4, 2011, 11:04 A.M.) The Holy Father named today, as new Prefect of Religious (Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life), the Archbishop of the Brazilian capital, Brasília, Abp. João Braz de Aviz. A Brazilian of Portuguese and German descent, and a native of Mafra (State of Santa Catarina), Abp. Aviz is not a member of a religious order, but he did study in a PIME seminary and is considered extremely close to the Focolare Movement and, in recent years, to the Neocatechumenal Way; he is now the second Latin-American (together with Italian-Argentinian Cardinal Sandri) and only Brazilian to head a Congregation (following the retirement of Cardinal Hummes).

UPDATE by CAP, Jan. 10, 2011: In one of his first interviews as the newly-appointed Prefect of Religious, Archbishop João Braz de Aviz said the following, interesting words:

Do you know the United States?


Not really. I understand very little English, and I’ve never travelled in the United States.


You’re aware of the Apostolic Visitation of religious women in the United States?


I’m aware of it, because I recently spoke with Mother Clare Millea, the American sister who’s in charge of the visitation. She’s coming to see me here in Brasilia sometime in the coming days, in part because we also have to talk about her congregation [Congregation of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus]. Beyond that, I really don’t know anything at all.


Are you aware that many sisters in America are concerned because, to them, the process seems “secret,” and they’re worried that they won’t have an opportunity to respond to whatever the conclusions might be?

I’ve heard that from the sister who spoke to me. I haven’t read anything else about it, so I’ll have to learn once I arrive at the congregation in Rome.


Are you open to talking to the American sisters about how to make this a constructive experience?


Of course. What the Holy Father wants is fidelity to the consecrated life, but we also have to be in dialogue with the world and all the other things that women religious strive to do. I would say that “secrecy” is not the spirit of this intervention. You know, whenever a higher level of authority in the church intervenes, they’re doing so because they have a responsibility to carry out a mission, but there’s often a problem of trust. I want to create trust – I believe in that very much. We have to get past this vision of seeing one another as enemies, believing that the ‘other’ is somehow far from God or a threat to me.


I learned that vision from the Focolare. They taught me that I always need to try to understand the path that the other person is on, how they see things, and to learn from it. It’s very important to find the good in what other person thinks and feels, not to condemn it or try to destroy it. It’s a spirit of unity, which we have to construct together. For me, there is no other path. By the way, I have a great relationship with the religious here in Brazil, including the national coordination for religious orders.


So you’re open to dialogue with the religious women in the States

Yes, I want to learn from them and to walk with them. You have to see people up close, get to know them, which helps you overcome whatever problems are there. I would say the same thing about the sexual abuse crisis that we’ve lived through in recent years. We have to be concerned with the holiness of the church, but we also have to be very close to those who have been wounded, to the victims. I’m passionate about that.

The Brazilian Archbishops's words come a few weeks after his Secretary in the same congregation, Abp. Joseph Tobin C.SS.R, said that the Vatican must hear the "anger and hurt" of U.S. nuns, and that there will be no "punitive fall-out" from the ongoing apostolic visitation of the nuns in the U.S. (Abp.  Tobin specifically says that the visitation will not, for instance, result in the nuns being forced to wear their habits once again.)