On December 23, 2007, Cardinal Aloisio Lorsheider, the Archbishop Emeritus of Aparecida, Brazil, met his eternal reward.
Cardinal Lorscheider's life was filled with pretty amazing events. When his fellow Franciscan, Leonardo Boff, was called to the Vatican red carpet for promoting liberation theology, Lorsheider accomanied him.
In 1978, Cardinal Lorscheider was the "Popemaker" in the first conclave. When the vote was deadlocked between conservative Cardinal Siri of Genoa and progressive Cardinal Benelli of Florence, Lorscheider actively promoted Cardinal Luciani of Venice as a compromise. Luciani went on to become Pope John Paul I. Because of his leadership, Lorsheider received several votes in both the 1978 conclaves. Pope John Paul I claimed to have voted for Lorsheider.
In 1994, Lorsheider was held hostage for several days by a group of government protesters. He negotiated a peaceful resolution.
Lorscheider was the spiritual leader of the most Catholic and one of the poorest countries in the world. May he rest in peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment