When participating in the celebrations of All Souls’ Day in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, this Thursday (2), the archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani João Tempesta, warned of the moment of violence currently experienced around the world and made an appeal for peace . “These days, two things draw attention: the war situation and [as] deaths that happen in our world, that hurt and leave a big mark on our society. We need to live and coexist in peace with each other,” he said.
A blessing from the archbishop began the All Souls’ Day program at the Penitência Crematorium and Cemetery, in Caju, the port region of the capital of Rio de Janeiro. Then, Father Pedro Paulo Alves dos Santos celebrated a mass in the Historic Chapel, built in 1905. At the time of the collective All Souls blessing, a flight of white balls in memory of loved ones decorated the sky around the Penitência Cemetery.
A message from the cardinal with a request for peace for Rio, Brazil and the world was reproduced on a giant panel at the top of the cemetery. “Let us salute the memory of loved ones and Peace in the world!”, shows the panel.
The message will be displayed until Sunday (5) on a 252 square meter LED screen, in the vertical building of the Penitência Cemetery, which can be seen from the city’s main road corridors, Avenida Brasil and Linha Vermelha. The CEO of Penitência Crematorium and Cemetery, Karla Monielly, estimates that the message is seen by more than 3 million people who travel on the roads.
In another action, a request for peace rose to the sky using giant kites, almost 2 meters high, which were flown by professional pipers. The action was to draw attention to the use of threads without wax, which has already caused several accidents with cuts that ended in the death of victims. “The kite is part of popular culture, but how many deaths occur due to the inappropriate use of the so-called Chilean line. The momentary joy of playing can bring unhappiness to countless families”, analyzed Karla Monielly.
The song also served as other tributes this November 2nd. Throughout the day, instrumentalists hired by Cemitério da Penitência perform compositions by performers and composers who were buried or cremated there, such as Nelson Sargento, Bibi Ferreira, Paulo Debétio, Beth Carvalho, Moraes Moreira and MCs Marcinho and Sapão.
The movement of those who wanted to honor loved ones who had died was great during this day. The management of the Penitência Crematorium and Cemetery estimated the number of visitors this Thursday at around 5,000.
The post first appeared on agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br