‘Cardinal of human rights’ celebrates 90th birthday

Cardinal Arns will celebrate his 90th birthday on 14 September. Friends, supporters and anyone who was inspired by his life and witness are invited to send messages.

Paulo Evaristo Arns was archbishop of Brazil’s greatest city, São Paulo, from 1970 to 1998. He is a man who was a light in the darkness of Brazil during 20 years of brutal dictatorship.

Amidst the brutality and violence, he spoke out for justice and freedom from oppression, and stood with the poor in the slums.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Progressio (then CIIR) championed the cause of human rights in Brazil, and found in Cardinal Arns a sympathetic ally.

He remains an inspiration through his writing and life-long witness.

The present archbishop of São Paulo, Odilo Scherer, will be going to Arns’ house on the outskirts of São Paulo to celebrate mass on 14 September as a birthday tribute to this ‘cardinal of human rights’.

Cardinal Arns’ health is frail and people around the world who want to mark this occasion can send messages to:

tereobrito [at] yahoo.com.br

dompaulo [at] terra.com.br

Photo: the cover of a ‘Comment’ booklet on Brazil, published by CIIR in 1977, and the cover of ‘Message to the Church in Brazil’, published 1988.