Dom Hélder Câmara (1909-1999)
The charismatic Bishop of Olinda (satellite city of Recife in Pernambuco). A tiny man—if you saw him up close you might think he was a dwarf. Notably small hands and feet but with a mighty voice. He was definitely on the liberal wing of the Roman Catholic Church. For that he earned the title of the “Red Bishop.” He was part of “Liberation Theology” as it was in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Dom Hélder’s sermons were lyrical cries for social justice. The military regime answered with an iron fist. The censors forbade any mention of his name. All the morning paper could print was: “the priest sang a mass. Nada mais.” No words allowed. The scene got ugly in the Northeast. One of the Bishop’s young assistant priests was brutally murdered. No arrests made. There was order but no law.
In those days I visited the Northeast accompanied by Chico Barbosa, who figures prominently in these portraits (with good reason).
Chico used me as a manner of a foil as we periodically visited outstanding bits of Brazilian reality.
He took me to visit the good Bishop in his sacristy. He looked, as always, eerily calm. He was holding a visibly heavy leather-bound Bible with brilliant gold leaf pages. He said the publisher wanted to promote its sale (at a pretty price) to every school and church in the land. He then looked at us with sad eyes and said, “What a pity this can’t be placed in every Brazilian heart at a modest price.” We then plied him with our news from the world about the rest of Brazil.
The last time I was with Dom Hélder was, of all places, in Madison, Wisconsin, where I was teaching at the University. Dom Hélder had composed a popular chorale, which, of course, could never be performed in military-ridden Brazil. My history colleague Professor Florencia Mallon had translated it. The local church congregation who were moved by his message had paid for the event. A large ensemble performed it. I was proud of my university and of Brazil keeping the light alive in dark times.
Further Readings
Câmara, Hélder, and José Broucker. A Thousand Reasons for Living. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1981.
Câmara, Hélder. Sister Earth: Creation, Ecology and the Spirit. Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 1995.
Câmara, Hélder, and Francis McDonagh. Dom Hélder Câmara: Essential Writings. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2009.
Dom Hélder Câmara was born in Fortaleza, Ceará. He served as Archbishop of the Diocese of Olinda and Recife from 1964 to 1985 and devoted his efforts to assisting the urban poor. In 1959, he established the Banco da Providência in Rio de Janeiro to help low-income individuals receive loans. A supporter of liberation theology, Câmara criticized the military dictatorship for its repressive actions and encouraged social change.