Faithful marked Corpus Christi on Thursday (4) with processions, devotional tapetes and masses in several Brazilian cities.
Corpus Christi celebrations mobilized parishes across Brazil on Thursday (4). In Minas Gerais, historic cities such as Mariana, Diamantina and Ouro Preto highlighted the tradition of tapetes made with colored sawdust, flowers and sand. In Mariana, volunteers turned the historic center into a mosaic after mass at Praça dos Ferroviários. Diamantina held a tapete-making contest. In Brasília, Archbishop Dom Paulo Cezar criticized political hatred during mass on the Esplanada dos Ministérios. “I cannot hate those who think differently from me,” he said. The 125-meter tapete, with 25 panels, was assembled by Catholic groups. Senators and deputies attended. In Castelo (ES), about 3,000 volunteers created panels with flowers and seeds. In Rio de Contas (BA), the Night of the Lanterns featured an illuminated procession the eve before. The CNBB emphasized celebration of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.