Brazil - The Bororo of Meruri in procession to remember the martyrs Rodolfo Lunkenbein and Simão

11 April 2017

(ANS - São Marcos) - "A nation or a church who forget their martyrs do not deserve to survive," wrote Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga, bishop of the poor. The Bororo - a population that has had two martyrs, Fr Rodolfo Lunkenbein, SDB, and their indigenous brother Simão - do not want to forget them and indeed, they do not forget them. On Sunday 2 April, a large number of faithful and friends held a procession (romaria) to the place where the two martyrs shed their blood for their people when they were killed.

This year the Bororo community held a procession carrying the names of the two martyrs. This gesture of love was promoted by Bishop Juventino Kestering of the diocese of Rondonópolis-Guiratinga, and led by Signora Leonida Akíri Kurireúdo.

Also, to remember the two defenders of the rights of indigenous people, they carried the motto "Martyrs, witnesses and defenders of life".

The procession united the faithful, with about 10,000 people participating. At the end of the afternoon, on the banks of the Red River, the Eucharist was celebrated as a sign of thanksgiving to God for the value of martyrdom.

Flags carried by the faithful from the beginning of the procession portrayed the faces of the martyrs and the pilgrimage was a religious manifestation of "remembrance, prayer and commitment."

Bishop Juventino encouraged the faithful to live this encounter as a commitment and urged everyone not to forget the process of beatification and martyrdom of Father Lunkenbein and Simão Bororo. Reflecting on the Gospel of the resurrection of Lazarus, the bishop invited all to shout: "Get up and walk for life", and asked them to light candles and phone lights to welcome Our Lady of Aparecida, asking her to enlighten “the darkness of Brazil, dominated by corruption".

The procession in honour of Fr Lunkenbein and Simão Bororo was in memory of two men who gave their lives for God, for the people, for the right to land, that is, for two "pilgrims, prophets of the Kingdom, social shepherds, defenders of the poor" as Bishop Casaldáliga wrote.

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