Our Fr. Alexandre Awi de Mello will form part of the Papal entourage

BRAZIL, Maria Rita Vianna/mda. “It’s official.  Our Fr. Alexandre Awi de Mello will form part of the Papal entourage.  He was personally chosen by Pope Francis to be his translator during World Youth Day.  We will post an interview with Fr. Alexandre on the website of the Brazilian Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth. Watch this space!” These were the words on the Facebook page of the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth IGNIS meeting.  The news began to spread like wildfire on 21 July.  Fr. Alexandre Awi de Mello, the national spiritual director for the Boys’ Youth and the director for the Schoenstatt spiritual directors in Brazil, will form part of the 10-person entourage accompanying Pope Francis during World Youth Day.  He was chosen by Pope Francis, who knows him personally as a result of his collaboration with the editorial team that produced that Aparecida Document

In an article written for www.schoenstatt.org, Fr. Alexandre – who was also the co-author of Message 2014 and whose contribution to Covenant Culture played a key role in the development of the 2014 Conference – said:

“Since the translators had not yet arrived, I was asked to help. At that point, they realised that it might be useful to have an extra person in the Conference’s “executive team” and in this way, I was made a part of the group. I could hardly believe the opportunity that I had been given. A day later, when the editors’ team was formed (by eight bishops, among them three cardinals, elected by those present and responsible for the final report on the Conference, made up of four consecutive essays), I was asked to be the secretary for the commission. This was an even greater gift, for it was there that the heart of the Conference would pulsate. I truly felt uplifted, not only as the result of the theology and all the matters that were discussed in this commission, but also by the personal testimony of each one of the cardinals and bishops who were present: a real classroom experience of the Church and Christian living.

To view the entire interview: https://www.schoenstatt.org/news-archive/news2007/06/7t0634en-bra-aparecida-p-alexandre.php.html

Fr. Alexandre Awi de Mello “was one of few names personally chosen by the pontiff, as the papal staff is normally chosen by the Holy See.  The Brazilian priest will be part of a high-ranking entourage, comprising at least 10 people. This means that he will be of few clergy present during the Pope’s daily morning prayers, for example,” reported the Brazilian online daily newspaper, Veja.

The author of the article, Adriana Dias de Lopes adds: “It is not only de Mello’s theological expertise that appeals to Francis.  The priest is an excellent communicator.  In the secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers, to which he belongs, he leads the youth.  Interestingly, Mello’s characteristic are very similar to those of Francis.  The sweet, almost timid smile. His words are calming but radical.  He says: “Very often Brazilian believers have a close relationship with Mary, seeing her as one who works miracles.  We should imitate her attitude, becoming like her and her son, Jesus.  Just this.”

Original: portugués. Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa