The Corpus Christi party at the Esplanada dos Ministérios, organized by the Archdiocese of Brasília, started at 6 am, this Thursday (8), with the making of a colorful religious-themed carpet that celebrates the date. For the 45th year, the carpet adorns the lawn for the passage of members of the Catholic Church and faithful, in procession with the image of the Blessed Sacrament, after the performance of the open-air mass. The Archdiocese of Brasilia estimates that the mass should gather around 70 thousand people in the celebration that believes in the spiritual presence of Jesus Christ. On the day of Corpus Christi, Christians celebrate the Mystery of the Eucharist, which is the sacrament of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, represented by the consecrated bread and wine. The date recalls the last supper of Jesus with the 12 apostles. Colorful rug The pictures on the Corpus Christi rug are made on the floor by the faithful, especially by groups of young people. In 2023, around 600 volunteers participated in the assembly. This year, the carpet is 130 meters long and is made up of 25 images, each measuring around 20 m². The images were filled with sawdust, rice straw, coffee, salt and paints of five basic colors, which are mixed by the volunteers until reaching the desired tones. The coordinator of the Corpus Christi Rug on the Esplanada, Aloísio Parreiras Rodrigues, who has been participating in the celebrations for 20 years, explains the logistics of preparing the open-air mosaic. “Three months earlier, we started working with youth in parishes in the Federal District. Afterwards, we received design suggestions, selected 25 of them and proceeded with the organization to get the material to make the rugs. Finally, on the day of Corpus Christi, we got together to assemble them and celebrate, what we call the Feast of Unity”. Mariana Ferreira, 23, is one of the volunteers at Esplanada dos Ministérios. “Since last year, I participate. I like it because it’s special to me. It contributes a lot to my spirituality”. Throughout the morning, the young people who took turns making the rugs also made circles to pray and sing. 19-year-old university student Pedro Farnese Dias, with his guitar, was one of the crowd’s entertainers. “We are here to serve the community that travels here and to be able to organize a beautiful event to celebrate the Eucharist”. The public began to arrive from the early hours of the morning to the Esplanade. Like the political scientist Andressa Bravim, who took her children Lucca, 3 years old, and Antonela, 5 years old, accompanied by her husband. “Today is the day for us to publicly celebrate our faith. We came to celebrate the Catholic faith and Eucharist,” she said. Pensioner Maria Etelvina Távora Correia Silva, 89, has participated in Corpus Christi celebrations since the days of former President Juscelino Kubitschek (1931-1976), when a procession made its way between two churches in Brasília. In 2023, even with limited mobility, she made a point of accompanying the religious movement, in a wheelchair. “The world is in need of values like love. We must forget about betrayal, greed and not harm people.” Programming This Thursday afternoon, several priests will attend the confessions of the faithful, in a tent set up behind the stage set up on the Esplanada, at the height of the Nossa Senhora Aparecida Metropolitan Cathedral. At 4:00 pm, the celebration chants begin to cheer up the faithful who will arrive at the Esplanade. At 4:45 pm, all the clergy – under the leadership of the Archbishop of Brasilia, Cardinal Paulo Cezar Costa – leave in procession from the Cathedral, towards the stage, where the Holy Mass will be celebrated, from 5:00 pm. The Archdiocese of Brasilia foresees that three blessings will be given: to the sick, to the rulers and to the families. After the mass celebrated by Dom Paulo Cezar, a procession with the Blessed Sacrament will pass along the colorful carpet and travel around the square of the Esplanada dos Ministérios, inside the popemobile, the special vehicle that was used by Pope John Paul II, on a visit to Brasília, in 1980. The parish priest of the Cathedral of Brasília, Agenor Vieira de Brito, who will participate in the celebrations of Corpus Christi, emphasizes the importance of respect for manifestations of faith. “Those people who do not profess the Catholic faith must have an ecumenical outlook. So even when that same creed is not professed, there must be respect. Because each one has their own choice, each one with their own possibility, but without forgetting that the main thing is love, regardless of the path that is being followed”.
Agência Brasil
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