Brazilian Pope friend and cardinal died – kath.ch
Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes is dead. The former head of the Roman Congregation for the Clergy died on Monday morning (local time) at the age of 87, his former Archdiocese of Sao Paulo tweeted.
Alexander Brueggemann
Claudio Hummes (2006-2010) served as clergy-prefect under Pope Benedict XVI. (2005-2013) responsible for a large part of the then 275,000 diocesan priests in the universal church. For eight years he previously headed the six million Catholic diocese of Sao Paulo in Brazil, one of the largest dioceses in the world.
Ecumenical Advisor
From 1996 to 1998 he was Archbishop of Fortaleza. For many years, Hummes was also the adviser to the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference on ecumenical issues. John Paul II. made the descendant of German immigrants a cardinal in 2001.
Insinuation in the election of Pope Francis
At the 2013 conclave, Hummes sat in the Sistine Chapel next to his future minister from Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. According to Bergoglio, when he was elected, the Franciscan whispered to him: “Don’t forget the poor!” He then decided on the papal name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, friend of the poor.
On the evening of March 13, 2013, Hummes appeared together with the newly elected Pope and the Cardinal Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, Agostino Vallini, on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of the world public. Francis apparently did not want to do without his friend Hummes at this crucial moment.
for the opening of the church
In the run-up to the 2019 Amazon Synod in the Vatican, Hummes spoke out in an interview with the Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica in favor of opening the church. “We urgently need something new, without fear and resistance.” Old and new must connect.
The Brazilian supported an “indigenous church” that has its own culture, identity, history and spirituality, while being united with the universal Catholic Church. The Amazon Synod emphasizes diversity within the unity of the Church. According to the Franciscan, Amazon and the church there are an example that should be openly accepted by the rest of the church.
From Brazil to Rome
Born on August 8, 1934 in Montenegro, Brazil, Hummes was ordained a priest in 1958. After studying theology in Brazil, the religious went to Rome from 1959 to 1963 to study philosophy.
Studies in Geneva
After a few years as a philosophy professor in his native country, he returns to Europe in 1968, where he is located at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Geneva. After his repeated return to Brazil, he was, among other things, provincial of the Franciscans of Rio Grande do Sul.
From 1979 to 1990 he was National Assistant for Workers’ Pastoral Care of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference. Although very committed to social policy, Hummes, like Francis, was not a follower of classical liberation theology. At times, like the pope, he was attributed to a “theology of the people”, a special variety of liberation theology with a strong emphasis on popular piety.
After Hummes’ death the College of Cardinals still has 207 members; 116 of them are under 80 years old and thus entitled to be elected Pope. At the end of August, Pope Francis will admit 20 more men to his Senate, 16 of them with voting rights. (kna)
© Catholic Media Center, 05.07.2022
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