Informally called “patron of the internet” for having published stories of Eucharistic miracles online, Blessed Carlo Acutis is now admired by thousands of Brazilians, young and old.

“This war destabilized not only our region, but all of Mozambique,” said Luiz Fernando Lisboa, C.P., bishop of the Diocese of Pemba, the province’s capital. “The church’s role has been to help victims. But we must also speak out.”

Brazil’s ecological offenses have been overshadowed by an arguably graver crisis, according to members of the local church, the government’s disastrous response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an exclusive interview conducted over email with America, Archbishop Azevedo criticized Brazilian politicians “in different stances of power” who have “minimized the effects of the pandemic.”

The advisory panels should become a means of assistance and counsel for their respective national bishops’ conferences. “The members of these groups can instruct, with their own experience, how to deal with the issue of abuse, especially when it comes to listening to victims and accompanying them.”

Brazil is still reeling three days after 10 people were killed by two young men who assaulted a São Paulo suburban school on March 12.

For many of these small groups, remaining uncontacted is a survival strategy.

Some members of the armed forces resent the influence and popularity of the Catholic Church in the Amazon.

“As long as there is a dictatorship in Venezuela, it is better not to return,” said Alexander. “I feel that there is an illegitimate government, a power that literally controls everything, but also an opposition that has defrauded the people many times.”

The tragedy raises anew the question: Is Brazil capable of pursuing economic development while responsibly caring for its environment?