Could Have Been Killed

The new prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life was born in a rural part of Brazil. Formerly Archbishop of Brasilia, Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz, has begun a fresh start with religious orders throughout the world. Interviewed and

Without denying that there are problems [among religious orders], Bráz said, his main aim is to “rebuild trust” by approaching issues in a new way – “without preemptive condemnations,” he said, “and by listening to people’s concerns.”

Mr. John L. Allen posted his remarks yesterday at NCR Today. Mr. Allen also recalled

that As a young priest, Bráz was once on his way to a village to say Mass when he stumbled upon an armored car robbery. He was shot during the crossfire, with bullets perforating his lungs and intestines and one eye. Although he survived and surgeons were able to save his eye, he still carries fragments of those bullets in his body.

Other points from his biography related by Mr. Allen suggest a listener with ears and heart.