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Cláudio Hummes

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His Eminence

Cláudio Hummes

OFM
Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy
SeeSão Paulo
Appointed31 October 2006
Term ended7 October 2010
PredecessorDarío Castrillón Hoyos
SuccessorMauro Piacenza
Other post(s)Cardinal-Priest of S. Antonio da Padova in Via Merulana
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination3 August 1958
by João Resende Costa
Consecration25 May 1975
by Aloísio Leo Arlindo Lorscheider
Created cardinal21 February 2001
by Pope John Paul II
RankCardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born
Auri Alfonso Hummes

(1934-08-08)8 August 1934
Batinga Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Died4 July 2022(2022-07-04) (aged 87)
São Paulo, Brazil
DenominationRoman Catholic
MottoOmnes Vos Fratres (We are all brothers)
Coat of armsCláudio Hummes's coat of arms

Cláudio Hummes, OFM (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈklawdʒu ˈʁum(i)s]; born Auri Alfonso Hummes; 8 August 1934 – 4 July 2022) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 2006 to 2010, having served as Archbishop of Fortaleza from 1996 to 1998 and Archbishop of São Paulo from 1998 to 2006. A member of the Order of Friars Minor and an outspoken proponent of social justice, he was made a cardinal in 2001.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Hummes was born Auri Alfonso Hummes in the village of Batinga Sul[1] to Pedro Adão Hummes, a German-Brazilian, and Maria Frank, a German. Taking the name Cláudio upon his profession as a Franciscan, he was ordained to the priesthood on 3 August 1958 by Archbishop João Resende Costa. He obtained a doctorate in philosophy in 1963 from the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome.

From 1963 until 1968, he taught philosophy at the Franciscan seminary in Garibaldi, the major seminary of Viamão, and at the Pontifical Catholic University of Porto Alegre. He then studied at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey in Geneva, Switzerland, where he received a specialization in ecumenism. He was adviser for ecumenical affairs to the Episcopal Conference of Brazil, Provincial Superior of the Franciscans of Rio Grande do Sul (1972–1975), and president of the Union of Latin American Conferences of Franciscans.

Along with his native Portuguese and Riograndenser Hunsrückisch, a regional German dialect of south

Bishop

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On 22 March 1975, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Santo André and Titular Bishop of Carcabia. Hummes received his episcopal consecration on the following 25 May from Archbishop Aloísio Lorscheider, OFM, with Bishops Mauro Morelli and Urbano Allgayer serving as co-consecrators. He succeeded Jorge de Oliveira as Bishop of Santo André on 29 December of that same year. Hummes allowed the labour unions to meet in parishes throughout his diocese, going against the dictatorship in Brazil at the time. It was here that he began his support for liberation theology, and forged his friendship with the union boss at the time, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. On 29 May 1996 he was promoted to Archbishop of Fortaleza and was then transferred to São Paulo on 15 April 1998.

Styles of
Cláudio Hummes
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeeSão Paulo (Emeritus)

Cardinal

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Hummes was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Antonio da Padova in Via Merulana by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001.[2] He later preached the Lenten spiritual exercises for John Paul II and the Roman Curia in 2002. One of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI, Hummes was often mentioned as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II.[3][4]

Hummes was a member of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Congregation for Bishops, Congregation for Catholic Education, Pontifical Council for the Laity, Pontifical Council for the Family, Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Pontifical Council for Culture, Pontifical Commission for Latin America, X Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational, and Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

On 31 October 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Hummes to head the Congregation for the Clergy.[5] He accepted his resignation from that post on 7 October 2010.[6]

In 2013 he served as one of the 115 cardinals in the conclave that elected Pope Francis.[7][8] When the new pope won the conclave ballot, Hummes whispered to him, "Don't forget the poor". Francis said that immediately he remembered Francis of Assisi, "the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation," and "the name Francis came into my heart". When Francis appeared on the balcony shortly after his election, Hummes was among the cardinals who accompanied the new pope and stood beside him at his immediate left on the balcony.[9][10]

A year later, Hummes was appointed honorary president of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), established in 2014 in Brasilia, Brazil, during a meeting of bishops whose territories include Amazon regions, priests, missionaries of congregations who work in the Amazon jungle, and national representatives of Caritas and laypeople belonging to various Church bodies. In his message, he reiterated that the creation of the Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network "represents a new incentive and relaunch of the work of the Church in Amazonia, strongly desired by the Holy Father. There, the Church wishes to be, with courage and determination, a missionary Church, merciful, prophetic, and close to all the people, especially the poorest, the excluded, the discarded, the forgotten and wounded. A Church with an 'Amazonian face' and a 'native clergy', as Pope Francis proposed in his address to the bishops of Brazil".[11]

Death

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Hummes died at his home in São Paulo on 4 July 2022 following a bout of lung cancer.[1][12] He was 87.[13]

Climate activism

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On 29 November 2015, ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference Cardinal Hummes appeared again on the world's global media stage when he and Avaaz campaigner Oscar Soria displayed a pair of shoes donated by Pope Francis to support a climate demonstration in Paris that had replaced a planned march after French authorities had banned public protests in the aftermath of the November 2015 Paris attacks. Parisians and others from around the world donated shoes and set them up at Place de la Republique, in a symbolic march organized by the civic movement Avaaz which gained the support of the pope.[14]

"This is a very important and also very emotional moment, the Pope wanted to personally participate symbolically just like all of us who have put our shoes, we want to participate symbolically to the worldwide march for climate change here in Paris", Cardinal Hummes told journalists at the event.[15]

"We ask for drastic cuts of carbon emissions to keep the global temperature rise below the dangerous threshold of 1.5 °C," the cardinal said before international media. "As the bishops' appeal states, we need to 'put an end to the fossil fuel era' and 'set a goal for complete decarbonisation by 2050 (...) And we ask wealthier countries to aid the world's poorest to cope with climate change impacts, by providing robust climate finance," he added.[16]

Recounting that event, Cardinal Hummes later said: "I had the privilege, along with Oscar Soria from Avaaz, to bring the shoes of Pope Francis. There were lots of expectations, it was a great and symbolically strong way of pressure from the people, and as well the presence of Pope Francis, in this clamor to avert climate change".[17]

Views

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Economic issues

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Cardinal Hummes who criticized the spread of global capitalism, claimed that privatizing state companies and lowering tariffs had contributed to "misery and poverty affecting millions around the world".[18]

Indigenous people

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Hummes issued an official statement condemning the anonymous attacks on homeless indigenous people. He said "such violence and cruelty is unacceptable and should be vigorously repudiated. The Church has cried out many times regarding the need to come to the aid of those who are forced to live in our streets, without shelter. She does so out of a duty of humanity and because of her faith in Jesus Christ, who wishes to be identified in each person, especially in the poor and handicapped".[19]

Clerical celibacy

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In a 2006 interview with Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, Cardinal Hummes said that "even though celibacy is part of Catholic history and culture, the Church could review this question, because celibacy is not a dogma but a disciplinary question." He also said that it is "a long and valuable tradition in the Latin-rite church, based on strong theological and pastoral arguments".[20]

Contraception

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See also: Roman Catholic Church and AIDS

Hummes reprimanded priests who attack Catholic teachings about condoms.[18][21]

Published works

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References

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  1. ^ a b Risen, Clay (13 July 2022). "Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, Close Ally of Pope Francis, Dies at 87". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  2. ^ Pope John Paul II (21 February 2001). "Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico per la creazione dei nuovi Cardinali" [Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals] (Homily) (in Italian). Libreria Editrica Vaticana. Assegnazione dei Titoli o delle Diaconie ai nuovi Cardinali. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018 – via the Holy See.
  3. ^ Bates, Stephen (10 April 2005). "Portuguese patriarch is dark horse papal candidate". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Bets Taken on Next Pope". Chicago Tribune. 7 November 2004. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 31.10.2006" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 07.10.2010" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  7. ^ "List of Cardinal Electors". Zenit. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  8. ^ Procession and entrance in Conclave (Television production) (in Italian). Rome: Centro Televisivo Vaticano. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  9. ^ Habemus Papam, Franciscus (Television production) (in Italian). Rome: Centro Televisivo Vaticano. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  10. ^ Wooden, Cindy (16 March 2013). "Pope Francis explains why he chose St. Francis of Assisi's name". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  11. ^ Radio, Vatican (2 March 2015). "Presentation of the Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network (REPAM)". Vatican Radio. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Morre Cardeal Cláudio Hummes, franciscano que defendeu povos indígenas e influenciou escolha do nome do Papa". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  13. ^ Chu, Henry (5 July 2022). "Brazilian Claudio Hummes, once viewed as possible first Latin American pope, dies at 87". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  14. ^ McGrath, Matt (28 November 2015). "COP21: Pope's adviser urges Catholics to join climate marches". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  15. ^ WorldPost, HuffPost (29 November 2015). "Empty Shoes Left Out To Replace Cancelled Paris Climate March". HuffPost. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  16. ^ Smith, Sean (30 November 2015). "A pair of papal shoes stand in defiance of Paris authorities as Catholics demonstrate over climate-change". Tablet. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  17. ^ Ecuador, Caritas (1 December 2015). "Zapatos del Papa Francisco: un símbolo en la defensa del planeta". REPAM. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b Faiola, Anthony (3 April 2005). "Champion of Workers and the Poor". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Cardinal Hummes denounces indigenous killings in Brazil". Catholic News Agency. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Cardinal Egan says possibility of married priests not to be dismissed". The Catholic Review. Archived from the original on 18 September 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  21. ^ Gould, Peter (25 November 2003). "The Vatican's condom challenge". BBC News. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
José Lafayette Ferreira Álvares
 — TITULAR —
Titular Bishop of Carcabia
22 March 1975 – 29 December 1975 		Succeeded by
Vittorio Luigi Mondello
Preceded by
Jorge Marcos de Oliveira
 Bishop of Santo André
29 December 1975 – 29 May 1996 		Succeeded by
Décio Pereira
Preceded by Archbishop of Fortaleza
29 May 1996 – 15 April 1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Archbishop of São Paulo
15 April 1998 – 31 October 2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Antonio da Padova in Via Merulana
21 February 2001 – 4 July 2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prefect for the Congregation for the Clergy
31 October 2006 – 7 October 2010 		Succeeded by
President for the International Council for Catechesis
31 October 2006 – 7 October 2010
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