Dom Helder Camara papers sent to Vatican

Dom Helder Camara by - Hans Peters/Anefo - Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl Wiki image

Papers of the late Dom Helder Camara were sent to the Vatican last week in the latest stage of the process of his canonisation, which was opened in 2015. The vicar general of the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, Monsignor Luciano Brito, accompanied the documents.

Before that, on 25 May, Governor Paulo Camara of Pernumbuco in North-East Brazil received Archbishop Fernando Saburido of Olinda and Recife, to talk about the process of the canonisation.

The Government of Pernambuco has participated in the process from the preparation of the collection to the feasibility of sending it. "We have been following all this work with great emotion" stated Governor Camara, adding that, "I hope that we can have a saint that we know so well, and that we know that all his work and dedication in life were in favour of the poor and of a better world, with more peace and health."

The Dom Helder Camara Institute took about three years to gather manuscripts, books and documents, which were then scanned. The huge 500 kg collection was transported to Rome by the airline TAP Air Portugal, which supports the project.

"We are all interested in the cause of Dom Helder, so that we can, as soon as possible, have the happiness of seeing him recognised as a saint of the church", emphasised Archbishop Saburido.

Dom Helder Camara was born in the city of Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, on 7 February 1909, and died in Recife on 27 August 1999, at the age of 90. He was one of the founders of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, served as Archbishop of Olinda and Recife from 1964 to 1985, and is internationally known for defending human rights during the military dictatorship in Brazil. He participated in all sessions of the Second Vatican Council and is credited with making important contributions to 'Gaudium et Spes', the council's celebrated Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.