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A random waffle thread?
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I thought for the week that's in it this would be an interesting piece to throw up here.
Some of you may have heard of Fr John Cribbin from Shanagolden whom was the first Irish person to be made an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro. He never forgot his Limerick roots and often travelled back from Rio to watch the Limerick footballers in action. I remember meeting him at many a Munster final and being mesmerised by his stories of the amazing work he was doing with the toughest gangs in Brazil. This was the speech he gave on receiving the honorary citizen of Rio, which is full of great West Limerick wit
http://www.gogobrazil.com/jcribbin.htmlIn order to become a citizen of Rio de Janeiro, the principal requisite, or rather (it seems to me) the only requisite is to be born in Rio de Janeiro. In order to be an honorary citizen, the requisites are many and diverse, but the principal one is not to have been born in Rio de Janeiro. This requisite I fulfilled on the 29th of October 1936, when I was born in a place called Shanagolden in Ireland.
The rest is history! But I am here to-night, conscious of the fact that I wasn't born in Rio de Janeiro and, in a certain sense - maybe a little like the discourse of Jesus with Nicodemus - I am, as an adult, being born officially in Rio, on this day, on receiving this Title, which is a great honour - to be an Honorary Citizen of the most marvellous city of the world.
Some years ago, and on several occasion since then, Alderman (elected Municipal representative) Adilson Pires expressed his wish to confer this unique honour on me, which can only be granted by the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro. On diverse occasions I side-tracked the Alderman, declining his offer, until a priest colleague, on learning about my refusal, called my attention to the fact that it was an honour that involved, and included, my family, my native land - Ireland, the Oblates, the Church of Rio de Janeiro, and in a special way the people of the parish of St. Joseph.
Nevertheless, some doubts still existed - certain investigations had to be done, some issues had to be cleared up. So I consulted with some of the local "gurus" and I discovered that in order to be an Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro, it wasn’t necessary to learn to dance the samba, nor was it obligatory to learn to speak with the ‘Carioca’ (Rio) accent. It wasn’t necessary to change from Vasco to Flamengo (football teams), nor was it obligatory to shout for Brazil in their frustrated attempts to beat Ireland in soccer! One of the ‘gurus’ even guaranteed that as regards “Carioca Shenanigans”, I was well qualified!
When news of this honour began circulating here in the parish, someone reminded me that although I had been born in Ireland, I had lived most of my life here in Rio, and for that reason I was more of a native ‘Carioca’ than Irish. The person in question even made reference to the gospel, reminding me that although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he was known as the Nazarene, because he had lived most of his life in Nazareth. He sealed his argument by reminding me that even St. Patrick was not born in Ireland, but yet he was the Patron Saint of the country.
Having said all that I am now aware of the fact that I will have to learn the 2nd verse of the Brazilian National Anthem and all the verses of the official anthem of Rio de Janeiro – “Cidade Maravilhosa”!
On this mile-stone in my life I cannot but remember my family back in Ireland, very well represented here tonight by my nephew Cathal. It’s as honour I share with all of them. In the heel of the hunt it isn’t everyone who has a brother or an uncle who is at the same Irish and Carioca!
Maybe I am one of the few, or who knows, the only Irish person to receive the title of Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro. The most natural thing in the world is to have pride in ones origins, in ones native land, and the fact of being admitted as a member of the ‘Carioca’ family is something of an great honour for my country, represented here by the Honorary Consul of Ireland, Brian McComish, and by many friends from the Irish Community in Rio. It is a great joy to have here with us Bishop Raymond Field of the Archdiocese of Dublin, capital of Ireland. Bishop Raymond, at this moment you represent the Irish people and in a special way the local clergy who inspired me in my priestly vocation.
To-night I am conscious of the fact that if I were not a member of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate I would never have achieved this title. As an Oblate I was designated to work here in Rio and at this moment I would like to pay tribute to my colleague Fr. Peter Moriarty who is now very ill in Ireland. He was the one who brought the Oblates to work in this parish.
I have already received the congratulations of Fr. Tom Murphy, my provincial in Ireland. Fr. Bernie Colgan, a good friend for whom I have great admiration is here representing my other Oblate colleagues who cannot be with us tonight, as is Bishop Raymond, who is a great friend of the Oblates in Ireland. I am convinced that the Oblate motto “He sent me to preach the Gospel to the poor” as well as my continued formation with my Oblate brothers here in Brazil, has contributed an awful lot, and is as integral part of this ceremony here to-night.
Many of you know Alderman Adilson Pires, and some of you, like myself, have known him for many years, when, while still a youngster he coordinated the youth ministry at Vicariate level and later at Archdiocesean level. Later he went on to coordinate the Pastoral Ministry of the workers in difficult times. For five years he participated, with Bishop Filippo Santoro, in the Pastoral work with Catholics who are also politicians. I am sure that this honour which is bestowed by the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro, through the iniciative of Alderman Adilson, is given, not simply because he is a committed Catholic. Rather I see this ceremony as a merited recognition of years and years of silent and, at times, unknown work of the Church carried out by the Parishes and by the Archdiocese, in favour of the suffering and less favoured population of our city. For that reason we have here Fr. Manoel de Oliveira Manangão who is Vicar Episcopal for Social Charity representing Cardinal Eusébio Oscar Scheid SCJ. It is a great joy to have here tonight members of the different pastoral works: The Workers Pastoral, the Children Pastoral, the Health Pastoral, the Pastoral Work with Favelas, and members of the Pastoral Work with Prisoners. I am delighted to have here Fr. André who coordinates the pastoral work with prisoners in the ten Dioceses of this Ecclesiastical Region.
To all of you I say thanks. Thanks for having helped me to see the Suffering Face of Christ in the multiform faces of our discarded, suffering and marginalized people.
I see and interpret this honour which is given to me to-day by the legislators of the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro as public recognition on the part of the city, of the Gospel commitment of the Archdiocese, assumed in a joint pastoral endeavour by the priests, deacons, religious orders and laity of our archdiocese. I am proud of and I thank God for being a small collaborator in this mission and I thank all of you from the different social pastoral works, for helping me to embody the values of the Kingdom of God in the reality of our people.
When I am on holidays in Ireland, on several occasions and in different circumstances, my family often commentated on the fact that when I speak of the Brazilian people I always use the term “my people”. For me that term “my people” is the most natural thing in the world and, as from today, you are more than ever “my people” because now I am one of you. As I have often said, it was with you, the good people of Magalhães Bastos, with you “my people” that I learned to be a priest. Together with you let us continue our unceasing search so that we will become more and more faithful to our Founder, Jesus Christ.
Good people of Magalhães Bastos, I am here receiving this honour on this day because you are with me every day, surrounding me with your friendship, enlightening me with your ideas, enthusing me with your committed faith, stimulating me with your limitless hope, giving me an unequalled example of generosity, service and self-giving which helps me to face the tedium of all the to-days and the challenges of all the to-morrows.
To all of you I say thanks for having invited me – thanks for making me one of you.
But, take note – pay attention all of you ‘Cariocas’: on admitting me into your ranks I am taking with me an enormous multitude of Fluminensis, Cearensis, Mato-Grossensis, Paraibanos, Piauiensis, and Pernambucanos – in short, people from all the states of this immense Brazil, who are now here in Rio, giving of themselves, body and soul, for the good of this marvellous city. The Municipal Chamber has made me an honorary citizen and today, as an honorary citizen of Rio I take the liberty and share with all of you ‘strangers’, all of you non-Cariocas, the title of citizens, brothers and sisters of these good Carioca people. For that reason, come along. For that reason I invite all of you to enter the circle and sing with me:
“Por isso vem entra na roda com a gente também, você é muito importante vem.”
[ for that reason, come let you also enter the circle, come you are also very important ] [...]
“Vem vamos embora que esperar não é saber, quem sabe faz a hora não espera
acontecer.”
[ come let’s go, let’s not wait for things to happen, he who knows will do it now, and will not
wait for it to happen ]
Alderman Adilson Pires. I thank the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro for this honour which I receive through you. I wish to reiterate the very same sentiments with which I addressed that Chamber on the 10th of July 1989 when I was privileged to receive the Pedro Ernesto Medal, also on your initiative. I wish to remind the members of this House and also the future members who will occupy the Municipal Chamber after the October elections, the words of our Pope John Paul II delivered on the hill top of the Vidigal Favela here in Rio, when he reminded us that the “Marvellous City” has its side which is not all that marvellous – proving that fact by inviting us “to look a little around us” and he challenged and questioned us with the words “does it not hurt your hearts?”. A few days later the Pope reminded us in Fortaleza that: “audacious reforms are necessary”. God wiling, the members of the Legislative Chamber of Rio, invested with the power that emanates from the people, will have the understanding and compassion so that they feel in their hearts the suffering of such a great portion of our people, and the courage and the audacity to legislate the reforms that the Pope and all of us regard as necessary and urgent. For that reason I invite all of you to join hands and pray with me the “Our Father” so that the Kingdom of love, justice and peace, so wished for by God, becomes a reality through the combined effort of all of us, in this marvellous city of Saint Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro. Our Father…0 -
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