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The Washington Post

La tensin crece entre los

catlicos, de Rgimen
militar derechista en
Brasil
Por Bruce H and Ier 03 de junio 1977

La tensin est aumentando de nuevo entre la Iglesia catlica y el rgimen

militar de derecha en Brasil, pero esta vez la causa principal es la divisin
poltica dentro de la iglesia.
El arzobispo ultraconservador de la ciudad brasilea el centro-este de
Diamantina, Geraldo Sigaud, ha acusado pblicamente a dos compaeros
obispos de ser responsables de "infiltracin comunista" en la iglesia. Son los
obispos Pedro Casaldliga de la ciudad de Mato Grosso remota de Sao Flix do
Araguaia y el obispo Tomaz Balduino de la ciudad brasilea central de Gois.
El obispo Casaldliga ha defendido los derechos de los campesinos y los
ocupantes ilegales que son lanzados fuera de pequeas parcelas de tierra por los
propietarios de grandes haciendas. El obispo Balduino es presidente de una
organizacin misionera catlica brasilea que busca proteger los derechos de los
indios primitivos que son invadidos por los desarrolladores de la tierra y
colonos.
Arzobispo Sigaud se ha convertido en un gran lote de documentos relativos a los
dos obispos al nuncio papal, o embajador del Vaticano, en Brasil, para su
remisin al Papa Pablo VI. Sigaud quiere el Papa para eliminar Casaldliga y
Balduino de Brasil.
La cruzada anticomunista de Sigaud ha destrozado un intento unidad de los
obispos de Brasil a pesar de sus diferencias polticas individuales a menudo
graves. Algunos lderes brasileos de la iglesia sintieron que tal frente unido
ayudara a la causa general de la iglesia en una campaa contra lo que se percibe
como las injusticias bajo el actual gobierno. Por esta razn, la ltima reunin
anual de la Conferencia Nacional de Obispos de Brasil en febrero produjo un
documento final que fue leve en comparacin a los ataques de la iglesia
anteriores contra el gobierno y sus polticas.

Por otra parte, la divisin abierta entre los obispos parece estar dando lugar a la
renovada vigilancia gubernamental de actividades de la iglesia. El obispo Ivo
Lorscheiter, secretario general de la Conferencia Episcopal, afirma que la polica
poltica brasilea ha recibido la orden de preparar los expedientes confidenciales
de los sacerdotes y obispos de todo el pas.
El obispo Lorscheiter dice que los expedientes contienen preguntas como: "El
clrigo intentar desfigurar a la persona de Cristo? y comenta: Cmo es un
agente de seguridad pobres supone responder a eso? tambin dice que la
polica poltica est preparando un archivo de propiedades de la Iglesia y de las
inversiones. Se est creando un "clima de veneno" a propsito, afrma
Lorscheiter.
El obispo Casaldliga, un ciudadano espaol, dice que los documentos del
arzobispo Sigaud contra l son una mezcolanza calumniosa de un corte de
publicaciones de corte que no expresan mi forma de pensar. El obispo acusado
aade: Yo no soy comunista estoy en contra de todo tipo de violencia y falta de
respeto por los derechos humanos, tanto si se produce en Amrica Latina o
Siberia. l dice que la nica manera en que dejar Brasil es si me deportan.
Una pieza de la evidencia que Sigaud dio al nuncio era un poema que
Casaldliga haba dedicado a Ernesto (Che) Guevara, el difunto hroe guerrillero
cubano. Casaldliga dice que Sigaud cit solo partes del poema. Casaldliga no
niega que admira a Guevara, como admiro a cualquier persona que es capaz de
dar su vida por una causa.
Sigaud sostiene que los obispos Casaldliga y Balduino son responsables de gran
parte de la reciente tensin entre la iglesia y el gobierno brasileo. Ambos
obispos refutan vehementemente los cargos. Los dos dicen que tal tensin es el
resultado de las polticas del gobierno que, en su opinin, pisotean los derechos
de los campesinos, los indgenas y los pobres urbanos, a favor de los empresarios
y terratenientes ricos.
Sigaud una vez fue activista en una controvertida organizacin laica catlica
brasilea ultraconservadora llamada Tradicin, Familia y Propiedad. Este grupo,
una vez ha enviado al Papa Pablo una peticin con 1,6 millones de firmas
pidiendo medidas contra la supuesta infiltracin comunista en la iglesia en
Brasil. Pero Sigaud ya ha renunciado a su membresa.

Tension Grows Between

Catholics, Rightist Military
Regime in Brazil
By Bruce H and ler June 3, 1977
Tension is increasing again between the Roman Catholic Church and the rightwing military regime in Brazil, but this time the main cause is political division
within the church.
The archconservative archbishop of the east-central Brazilian city of
Diamantina, Geraldo Sigaud, has publicly accused two fellow bishops of being
responsible for "Communist infiltration" in the church. They are Bishop Pedro
Casaldaiiga of the remote Mato Grosso town of Sao Felix do Araguaia and Bishop
Tomaz Balduino of the central Brazilian city of Goias.
Bishop Casaldaliga has defended the rights of rural peasants and squatters being
thrown off small plots of land by owners of large ranches. Bishop Balduino is
president of a Brazilian Catholic missionary organization seeking to protect the
rights of primitive Indians being overrun by land developers and homesteaders.
Archbishop Sigaud has turned over a large batch of documents relating to the
two bishops to the papal nuncio, or Vatican ambassador, in Brazil, for
forwarding to Pope Paul VI. Sigaud wants the pope to remove Casaldaliga and
Balduino from Brazil.
Sigaud's anticommunist crusade has wrecked an attempt to unity Brazil's
bishops despite their often serious individual political differences. Some
Brazilian church leaders felt such a united front would help the church's overall
cause in campaigning against what are perceived as injustices under the current
government. For this reason, the last annual meeting of the National Conference
of Bishops of Brazil in February produced a final document that was mild in
comparison to earlier church attacks against the government and its policies.
Furthermore, the open division among bishops seems to be leading to renewed
government surveillance of churhc activities. Bishop Ivo Lorscheiter, secretarygeneral of the bishops conference, claims that Brazilian political police have been

ordered to prepare confidential dossiers on priests and bishops throughout the

country.
Bishop Lorscheiter says the dossiers contain questions such as: "Does the
clergyman try to disfigure the person of Christ?" and he comments, "How is a
poor security agent supposed to answer that?" he also says that political police
are preparing a file on church property and investments. A "climate of poison" is
being created purposely, Lorscheiter asserts.
Bishop Casadaliga, a Spanish citizen, says Archbishop Sigaud's "documents"
against him are "a slanderous hodgepodge of cut-up publications which do not
express my thinking." The accused bishop adds: "I am not a communist. I am
against all violence and disrespect for human rights, whether it occurs in Latin
America or Siberia." He says the only way he will leave Brazil is "if they deport
me."
One piece of "evidence" Sigaud gave the nuncio was a poem Casalaliga had
dedicated to Ernesto (Che) Guevara, the late Cuban guerrilla hero. Casaldaliga
says Sigaud cited only parts of the poem. Casaldaliga does not deny he admires
Guevara, "as I admire anyone who is capable of giving his life for a cause."
Sigaud contends that bishops Casaldaliga and Balduino are responsible for much
of the recent tension between the church and the Brazilian government. Both
bishops vehemently refute the charges. The two say such tension is a result of
government policies which, in their opinion, trample the rights of peasant
farmers, Indians and the urban poor, in favor of rich businessmen and
landowners.
Sigaud once was active in a controversial ultraconservative Brazilian Catholic lay
organization called Tradition, Family and Property. This group once sent Pope
Paul a petition with 1.6 million signatures calling for action against alleged
"Communist infiltration" in the church in Brazil. But Sigaud has since given up
his membership.