Bishop Cizaurre welcomed us amiably at the General Curia of the Augustinian Recollects in Rome and with much simplicity, shared with us and for the OAR Web his experiences.
Q. What does the “ad limina” visit mean to you?
A. The visit is always an event of special significance, not only for the bishops, but also for the churches they represent. The weeklong visit was intense. Aside from two audiences with the Holy Father we also celebrated the Eucharist in great Roman basilicas and had audiences with six congregations and three pontifical councils. Although visits to some congregations did not shed much light on our serious pastoral concerns, they were nevertheless significant because we were able to share with them our visions for the Church.
Q. In your message, in the name of the region of Brazil you represented, and addressed to the Holy Father, what aspect did you emphasize?
A. We tried to be brief. After the customary protocol, we expressed our solidarity with the Holy Father in these times of suffering because of the attacks on his person. We joyfully showed the pastoral direction taken by our churches, sustained by basic ecclesial communities and the increase of diocesan priestly vocations in our region. In addition we opened to him our preoccupations like, the violence that results from conflicts related to land ownership, sexual exploitation of minors, human trafficking, and government and multi-national projects that show no respect for the environment and the people of the Amazons. Projects, the sole objective of which is luxury, they bring out the wealth and leave behind poverty.
One Mass a year
Q. Can you share with us what the Holy Father said?
A. He spoke of the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church and of the importance of continuing the proclamation of Christ, without which there is no Christian liturgy. The theme of the Eucharist was precisely the main concern of the bishops of the Region in their visit to some of the congregations, focusing on the problem experienced in the Amazons where many basic ecclesial communities exist and yet celebrating only one or utmost two Masses a year. There are approximately 7,000 basic ecclesial communities in the entire diocese and the prelatures of the Region that live this situation. Although there are interesting initiatives, we really have not yet found an answer to the problem.
Q. The Pope made allusion to the celebration of the XVI National Eucharistic Congress to be held within next month in Brasilia, of what importance is this event to your people?
A. At the end of his speech His Holiness, yes, Benedict XVI, made mention of the celebration of the XVI Eucharistic Congress ,which will be celebrated within this coming May in Brasilia, with the desire that this event will renew the commitment of the Church of Brazil with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Q. What are the most serious problems and the hopes of the church of the Amazon Region, northeast of Brazil?
A. In order to better understand the preoccupations of the bishops of the North Region II, the states of Para and Amapa, we can group the issues in two: pastoral and social. On the pastoral level, I believe that the main problem is how to continue evangelizing emphasizing on the mission dimension of our work. As stated in the Aparecida Document, there is need for conversion in our pastoral work, from the pastoral of sustenance to a pastoral impregnated by the spirit of the mission. It is fundamental, in this sense, to involve the lay and consequently, there is need to form them in order that they would be real agents of evangelization.
The Diocesan Clergy
Since, as a church we are traditionally attended to by religious with very few diocesan priests, we, the bishops of the Region are preoccupied and, as a consequence, are presently occupied with the formation of the diocesan clergy, and much more so because religious Orders and congregations are pulling our their communities from the diocese and the prelature. The economy is also a cause of concern. Our churches, with no exception, are poor and, although much progress has happened in the sustenance of the parishes due to the practice of tithing, on the level of the diocese or the prelature we are still survived by sources from agencies outside the country. We have our joys nevertheless. And we can mention the increase in the number of diocesan clergy, the pastoral leadership and involvement of the laity, the commitment of our priests, the practice of tithing and most especially the communion of the churches and their pastors in the Region.
Violence and Development
On the social level are many problems. Our people generally are poor not only economically but also in matters of health care, education, employment, and in rights of citizenship. Because of this poverty our people easily accommodate and entrust themselves to politicians, who, many times, do not care for their needs. Another preoccupation is the increase in violence, which in urban centers has many faces: robberies, hold-ups, killings, gangs of youth and adolescents. In rural areas violence comes in forms of fights for the possession of land and wood. Profit prevails over the value of life. In some of these places, life has no value. I recall that among the fourteen bishops of the Region – and with them a good number of lay persons, religious and priests – three have received death threats. All this is for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
Death Threats
Sexual exploitation of minors and adolescents, child prostitution and human trafficking are also focus of our attention. The Catholic Church in the Region, for many years already, has been exercising her prophetic mission denouncing these situations. Our own brother, Dom Jose Luis Azcona, has denounced these crimes many times in the municipality of Marajo. The Catholic Church in the Region has also been denouncing the form of development that the government and big national and international companies plan to realize in the Amazons, development plans that do not involve the natives nor respect the environment. It is a form of capitalism that is extremely savage and is interested only in profit. I have the impression that from the vantage point of Brasilia, the Amazon is the place to exploit much wealth but without any concern for the development of the Amazon people.
The laity and vocations
Q. How do you assess the commitment of the lay to evangelization in the diocese of Cameta?
A. I say that our lay faithful are truly admirable in their devotion to the Gospel. We have around seven hundred Christian communities that are coordinated by them, much more so because there are few priests. I believe that the commitment of the faithful is more manifest in the councils and assemblies where they participate actively and with responsibility.
Q. How is the situation of priestly vocation?
A. At this time the Prelature has two seminaries: the Minor in Cameta City has eight students and the Major in the capital city of Belen, has fourteen. They study philosophy and theology. You can observe by the number how God continues to call the youth to the service of the Church. We also have vocations to the religious life. We have in the Prelature a team of vocation promoters. They continue to keep ablaze the flame of vocation promotion.
Q. One last question. As a missionary bishop and Augustinian Recollect, what would you propose the coming general chapter should consider?
A. You remind me of the coming General Chapter of the Order. As Augustinian Recollect bishop I wish the chapter to be an opportune moment of renewal for the sake of our communities and of reviving that great treasure that has always characterized us: the missionary spirit!