Not even the non secular significance of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda Church, the primary cathedral in Brazil, was an impediment for a minimum of two folks to invade the temple positioned within the Historic Middle of Salvador. The church, which had already been focused by thieves twice prior to now week, was invaded once more within the early hours of Sunday (14) and Monday (15). Though 16 objects have been taken, the largest desecration for the non secular neighborhood was the theft of about 20 consecrated hosts – the physique of Christ, for the devoted. As a result of invasion, the celebrations of the Feast of Santa Rita that have been to happen have been suspended and spiritual actions will resume after the Act of Reparation.
The environment of grief within the Nossa Senhora da Ajuda Church, in-built 1549, wouldn’t be so evident if the thieves had solely taken materials objects. Proof of that is that final week, two robberies happened in the identical location. On Wednesday (tenth), the padlock on the railing was eliminated, and on Thursday (eleventh), it was the flip of a bronze lion, which was positioned at one of many entrances to the Church. The theft of the hosts, nonetheless, was what most shocked the devoted.
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The tabernacle the place the consecrated hosts have been guarded was violated (Picture: Marina Silva/MAIL) |
Recordings from the Church’s safety cameras, which CORREIO had entry to, present {that a} man broke into the place for the primary time round 5 am on Sunday (14). He made a gap in one of many doorways, spent about ten minutes there and took valuables. Upon leaving, the invader left the door unlocked, which made it simpler for a girl to invade the place the next morning.
The footage captures her entry into the church shortly earlier than 2 am and the second she steals the hosts from contained in the tabernacle (a type of small closet). The girl nonetheless climbs on a bench and steals a steel vase that was uncovered on the altar. Among the many objects stolen by the 2 are candlesticks, ampullae and vases. Along with R$150 in money and 30 T-shirts emblazoned with Senhor Bom Jesus dos Passos.
As of Monday afternoon, church members have been nonetheless accounting for the harm from the invasion. The assailants’ tracks have been current within the vases of crops left on the ground, within the items of the damaged door and even in tablets left by them within the non secular temple. The harm to the construction might have been much more critical as a result of the candles used throughout the invasion have been lit at daybreak.
Father João Batista Deferrari considers it a miracle that one of the crucial vital church buildings in Brazil was not burned down. The Church of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda was the primary constructed inside the partitions of Salvador. Made to serve the Jesuits, it functioned as a cathedral between 1552 and 1553, after the arrival of Dom Pedro Fernandes Sardinha, the nation’s first bishop. On the time, it was consecrated because the Primatial See of Brazil, changing into often called Sé de Palha.
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The church is positioned on Rua da Ajuda, within the Historic Middle (Picture: Marina Silva/MAIL) |
Regardless of not estimating the worth of the stolen objects, the priest assured that they’re of “secondary” significance. Thankfully, non secular pictures weren’t focused by thieves. The Church retains the unique picture of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, which was carried by Tomé de Sousa within the governor-general’s caravel on journeys between Portugal and Brazil.
The Civil Police carried out an investigation on Monday afternoon and the first Territorial Police Station (DT/Barris) is investigating the theft. Sought to touch upon the recurrent robberies, the Secretariat for Public Safety reported that it had strengthened the workers of the 18th Battalion, which operates within the Historic Middle area, with over 30 brokers, and that it was adopting intelligence motion measures.
desecrated sanctity
The hosts are only a mass fashioned by wheat and water, till they’re consecrated throughout the mass and are able to be communed. From then on, they characterize the physique of Christ and that’s exactly why the theft was thought of a desecration.
“The Blessed Sacrament was desecrated and this creates a really critical occasion for the church. A lot in order that now no non secular exercise can happen till an Act of Reparation is made. It’s a particular mass of penance performed with the bishop, because of the seriousness of the act”, explains Father João Batista Deferrari, chargeable for the Church.
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On the altar, the picture donated by Tomé de Sousa (Picture: Marina Silva/MAIL) |
The expectation is that Dom Dorival Barreto, auxiliary bishop of Salvador, will maintain the mass on Friday (19), in order that on Monday the day of Santa Rita de Cássia might be celebrated. Whereas this doesn’t occur, the principle doorways of the Church should stay closed and the lots that might happen in honor of the saint on the seventeenth, 18th and nineteenth have been cancelled.
The Reparation represents the officialization of the return of sanctity to the church and works as a form of punishment. “The Act of Compensation is a type of punishment as a result of everyone seems to be chargeable for the occasion. Not that we’re responsible, however we should really feel the seriousness of what occurred, it’s a approach of displaying the dangerous results of what occurred”, explains Father João Batista Deferrari.
Among the many devoted, the sensation is helplessness till actions might be resumed. “It is rather unhappy not just for the fabric items that have been stolen, however for the aggression in opposition to the tabernacle, in opposition to Jesus Christ. It’s essential to strengthen the safety of the church in order that this doesn’t occur once more”, laments Frederico Pena, supplier of the Irmandade do Senhor dos Passos.
Patrimony
The Church of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda is a part of the city complicated of the Historic Middle of Salvador, listed by the Nationwide Historic and Inventive Heritage Institute (Iphan). Because of this, staff of the institute will go to all through the week to calculate the harm brought on by the invasion and assist the Civil Police to determine the items. Iphan was contacted, however didn’t touch upon the theft.
In 1912, the church was one of many architectural landmarks of Salvador destroyed within the urbanization strategy of then governor JJ Seabra, who “opened” Avenida Sete de Setembro. Two years later, the temple was rebuilt on the location the place the again of the previous church was. The temple, reopened in 1923, maintains the previous altars from the seventeenth century and the unique pulpit utilized by Father Antônio Vieira.
Historian Rafael Dantas explains that as a result of it was the primary church constructed inside the partitions that surrounded Salvador, it was, for years, the best landmark of Catholicism’s energy within the nation’s capital.
“This crime exhibits the necessity for valuing the Historic Middle and for a better incentive to heritage, for the reason that church buildings assist to translate the city transformations that happened in Salvador”, defends the historian.
What was stolen at Nossa Senhora da Ajuda Church:
- stroll (2)
- Massive Candlesticks (4)
- Small Candlesticks (2)
- Clear Candlesticks (2)
- holy hosts
- massive glasses (3)
- Small vases (2)
- Lengthy vase (1)
- T-shirts (30)
- card machine loader
- BRL 150 in money
*With steerage from Monique Lôbo.
