The Bishops Speak Out

Brazil's Catholic Church has never, as a whole, been known for opposition to the government. Some members of the church's liberal wing have split off from the rest of the clergy and, in defiance of stiff laws, helped organize labor syndicates, defended student rights and sharp ened public feeling against the country's army. But last week the Brazilian clergy, liberal and conservative alike, angrily rose up in unison. It issued a warning that it would take no nonsense from the army and, moreover, that it intended to exert its influence on the course of government policy.

The incident that sent the church into opposition occurred in the steelmaking town of Volta Redonda, after four university students had borrowed Bishop Waldir Calheiros' station wagon to distribute antigovernment pamphlets. A few hours later, eight tommy-gun-toting soldiers broke into Dom Waldir's home, searched his belongings and threatened to arrest him as a subversive. When a local radio station canceled a Catholic program and read an army-composed editorial against the bishop instead, Dom Waldir drew up and had printed a new list of Brazil's "seven capital sins," which included low salaries, unemployment, hunger, social castes and disease. The army confiscated all copies and arrested two priests who were distributing them.

A Call for Courage. This affair, coming after a long series of army arrests and harassment of the clergy, moved the central committee of the Brazilian Conference of Bishops to action. After a three-day meeting of its 22 bishops in Rio de Janeiro, it issued a statement warning the government that it had no right to "define and limit" church functions. "The present situation must be faced courageously," said the bishops.

"The injustices brought up must be fought and defeated. Development demands profound innovation and audacious change. Urgent reforms must be carried out without delay."

Then the bishops solidly aligned themselves with Brazil's youth. "If this is the hour of the young," they said, "then let us not be late to the meeting set by history. Let us march together to ward a future that is promising for Brazil." Even "at the cost of personal hardships and sorrow," the bishops concluded, they were willing to "sacrifice our lives" for their people.

President Arthur Costa e Silva, 65, the army general who has been in office for nine months, did not quite know what to say. A staunch and faithful Catholic, he has visited Pope Paul twice in the past three years. To help arrange a truce, Costa asked to meet with the church's leading bishops some time next month. He realizes all too well that it was the wrath of the Catholic Church that helped topple Argen tine Dictator Juan Peron in 1955.

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