Bishop on Hunger Strike faces down Lula.

international | environment | other press

Thursday October 06, 2005 14:36

by iosaf

Luiz Flavio Cappio, is 58 years of age, a franciscan and bishop of the Brazilian town of Barra in the state of Pernambuco.
He started 11 days ago a hunger strike -

to stop the Brazilian government beginning work on a water pipeline/ canal / duct transfer system.

The aquaduct which has been suggested in some form or other for almost 150 years is due to be built in 2006.

It was one of the key manifesto policies of the Lula government which came to power in 2003.

1,770,000,000$ is the initial price tag to bring water to the people of Ceará, Río Grande do Norte, Pernambuco and Paraiba.
But the project reliant on investment and brazilian construction will cost more than 2billion$.

"12,000,000 families will benefit".

some others say only 9,000,000 people will benefit.

What is clear is that the areas to which the government want to bring water (in pipelines, ducts, canals) now counts on 450cubic meters of water per habitant.

The UN estimate that each person needs 1,500cubic meters of water.

The Brazilian government led by Lula is convinced that this project is an absolute neccesity to fight drought and lack of water in the north east of the country, the least well developed regions.

The Bishop disagrees, he says the ecological damage which will be caused to the San Francisco river is to great. The Bishop has written a book on the river and is considered to be an expert.

The pope, is said to be considering the cancellation of his audience with Lula scheduled to occur during the Brazilian's state visit to Italy later this month. But the Vatican insist the hunger strike is the bishop's own affair and is not supported by them.

This is being taken as a latest sign of the RC church closing ranks (in Brazil at least) in opposition to the socialist regime elected in 2003.

http://www.elpais.es/articulo/elpporint/20051005elpepisoc_6/Tes
http://www.univision.com/contentroot/wirefeeds/lat/5207596.html
http://miarroba.com/foros/ver.php?foroid=418065&temaid=3652490
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4314000/4314172.stm
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/10/06/elmundo/i-03301.htm

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Comments (2 of 2)

has the bishop died for jesus yet?

by elder

Fri Nov 11, 2005 00:35

just asking.

No elder, the bishops didn't die for Jesus yet.

by iosaf .:.

Fri Dec 02, 2005 14:01

In fact the very next day he stopped his hunger strike, which as we know the rules, then became an "extended fast" becuase he fell short of the 21 day minimum.

& then, interestingly enough the Franciscan order got into deep water with Ratzinger. Because he has different plans for South America, and Brazil is his number 2 trouble spot there. Therefore after their role played in mobilising many thousands of people to protests in both South America and Europe on three important themes :- War on Iraq, Same sex Marriage, Secular Educational reform, Pope Benedict XVI "papa ratzi" just limited their independent power in the last two weeks. It was the most far-reaching reform of an order's independence in almost a millenium. From now on, under Ratzinger's "obedience" rule (nods to bendictine) there will be no Franciscan monks photographed amidst clouds of tear gas protesting Berlusconi's war on Iraq. Indeed it effects Irish noted catholics "the catholic workers" too, as many of the champions of their "liberal" religious taste were or are Franciscans. & naturally have found great political support in their various protests which would I imagine outweigh the solidarity support for the Clown army were it to do the same things.

This update goes here now, because in an interview published in the "pro-Franciscan" press, the Bishop Luis Salvio Cappo has announced hiswillingness to defy "orders from Rome" and have another go at the "extended fast" to stop Lulu building a water pipe to quench the thirst of Brazil's poorest.

Anyway, elder, might I remind you that is not a BB board for the mormons. But hopefully stretching the rules find space to ask -

"why did you stop the polygamy thing? was it the 7 sons effect?"

moving public opinion.

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Bishop on Hunger Strike faces down Lula.

Comments (2 of 2)