Hello Fr. James!

Your blessing!

I am remembering you and Eli too in my prayers!

Here is the story of padre (Fr.) Cicero Romao. 1844-1934. I used a

personal account, as you go in your book surprised by christ,
thought your own biography.

Latter I copy a professional journalist account, about the case.

Personal account of being grow up in Brazil’s christedom.

As is it known Latin America is strongly religious society, and some

say that is the only place of the world that the Roman Catholic
Church have yet to present day their most - Fidels. Brazil was a
Portugal colony, and so, we speak Portuguese and difer likely from
the Spanish world. But we are in America, this place of the world
that comes from European colonization, and so there commons yes.
Native indigenous and the African slavery.
Since my childhood living in Brazil society is being quite curious to
me. I grew up in a christian society, in village called Cristo Rei
(Christ King), marked by the catholic parish, from the Pallottines,
the society of the catholic apostolate created by Vicent Pallotti. My
mother family is of catholic branch, but my father was protestant. I
never quite understood well these things, and only coming to clarify
it nowdays. The catholics are well stablished in Brazil since 16 th
century, when they came with the portugal-spanish colonials. Brazil
was evangelized by the jesuits and Franciscans mostly. In the 17 th
century Holand almost take part of Brazil from Portugal, and as they
were prostestant, there were a religious war between catholics and
protestant since then. Prostestantism only got to Brazil in the 19th
century, when they bring bibles and evangelists, and these kind of
Pentecostalism from anglo avivalism became very popular in Brazil
in the 20th century. Also one of the things that had a great spread
through Brazil was the so-called Spiritism, of the French Allan
Kardec, who in the 19 th century brought about books called
Science of the Spirit, claming that these codification of spiritual
science was truly the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit promisied by Christ
in the Gospel. This spiritism is very spread in Brazil until today, and
lots of people goes to it and, not read the Bible, but they got one
called “the gospel according to Spiritism”from allan kardec that
they prefer. They think themselves as christians, althought they got
doctrines like Karma wheel, and contact-talking with the dead
spirits. They usually are very proud of doctor Allan Kardec! And
challenges the “poor believers in the bible” as inferior minded (as to
believe in such primitive myths!), and specially the catholics as they
call them “the old religion”, as the new, most modern, the Holy
Ghost is Alan Kardec Science of Spiritism.
I thank God that my father was Protestant. Once my father was even
excomunated by a catholic priest, because some problems back
there, but he didn’t get moved. As the hymn “I shall not be moved”.
I think I got from him a type of not giving anything to religion. I
mean, he was believer in Christ and a bible reader. But by himself,
without any formal doctrination. I was the only children of my family
that did not went to Cathecheses! It was a type of scandal to my
mother catholic family.
I telling these context, but there also the native indigenous people,
who had they own spirituality as also in USA, for exemple the Native
American Church. But they are more reduced to the Indian
reservation territories. And the African slave descendent, religion,
that also is very popular today in the cities of Brazil. They do a type
of cult of African deities, that they inherited from Africa. In the
cities it appeared what is called Umbanda, that is a mixture of Allan
kardecist spiritism with African religion, based on mediuanism,
incorporations of entires-spits and sacrificial worship to these
entities.
Well, a lot of witchcraft too.
Of course today Brazil is similar to USA in the confusion and
padronization. There is Macdonald, shopping center, and Coca Cola,
as every where in the world. And as Seraphim Rose wrote about, the
Religion of the Future, you can find any religion, Buddhist, Tibetan,
yoga, u.f.o, new age, hinduism, sufism, etc.

I grew up in this confusion, seen catholics being scandalized by

protestants, and protestant pastors calling Catholic Church the
Babylon Prostitute, the Pope the AntiChrist, and always trying to
convert catholics Fidels.

Nowdays the things are smother in the church officials, as they are
trying ecumenism. But in my childhood the things were yet hot.
Now only the old style pastors would say that Vatican ecumenism is
because of the coup the pope want do do on the church, once again,
unifying the christians to vatican to them betray the church to the
antichrist.

Growing up in this country, since my childhood I heard about a

priest called Padre(fr.) Cicero Romao.
He is a myth, with always black stole and a hat, white hair, old man,
being called by many
“Meu padin padre Cicero” (“my godfather father Cicero”). I live in
south Brazil, Fr. Cicero is from northeast Brazil, and so it is
northeast that he is most praised by the common people.

He was born 1844 in the state of Ceara, in the backlands, in the

municipality of Crato.
Since childhood he was a catholic devote, and when young, he
choose to became priest, going to the seminary, where he studied
with French priests. Leaning latin, and being instructed.
He was ordained in 1870. People tell that since the seminary he was
not looked upon with good eyes by the church officials, because his
personality was strong.

He got back to his city Crato, and in a place, like a district, he

celebrated a Christmas mass 1871. And that place would became
later under his influence the village of Juazeiro do Norte. He
founded a capela and worked as pastor to the faithful, and was very
dedicated to the most poor, indeed.

There is a legend that Cicero got a dream, a vision, that one day,
after a hard day of exhaustive work confessing people, he saw the
Lord Jesus with the 12 apostles at a table, as in holy meal, when
suddenly enters the room a lot of poor people, with their needs, with
sackcloths, almost as beggars. Christ then said that he was
disappointed with humanity, but would yet do a last sacrifice to
salve it. But manhood would need to repent. And turning to the poor
people, looked to Cicero and said “you. Fr. Cicero, take care of
them!”

Well, this is told, but perhaps is legend.

He really was a priest of the community in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceara,

fomenting piety among the people, with devotions like the sacred
heart of Mary, and sacred heart of Jesus, the promises, and theses
types of catholic devotions very used by catholics that was popular
in the late 19th century.

In 1889, during the mass, he was giving communion the a woman

called Maria de Araújo, and when he put the host in Maria’s mouth, it
stated to bleed. In another occasions, happened the same with
Maria, when she received communion, blood will be find in her
mouth.

And then it stated all. A miracle occurred. A eucharist miracle, it

turned to blood.
The blood of Jesus? Everybody was moved, the people gathered
around, believing it a signal, a miracle, a wonder! People would
come to see Maria de Araújo, to see the signs of blood, from many
places around. And then started grow the belief that Fr. Cicero
Romao was special.

The roman church officials became worried. They tried to do some

verifications. The first it was true, a eucharistic miracle, the bishop
did not liked the result of the investigation. And called for another.
Then others came and said it was forgery, mischief. The bishop was
angry, called fr. Cicero to obedience, to clarify what was happening.
Well, the bishop was against it. And make a realtor to Rome, and
Rome stood with the bishop, saying to not aprove it as a miracle,
and to cancel movement of devotion that was begging around it.

And so fr. Cicero was suspend, forbidden to celebrate.

And then he entered to politcs, becoming the mayor of the city.

Where he would play political roles in the Brazilian natinal history of
the first decades of 20 th century.

But even if the official suspension of the roman church, the devotion
to fr. Cicero as a holy man became increasing popular. And many
gathered around him, and he was a godfather to many men and
women. Well, Brazil was then a very poor country, many miserables,
and they find in fr. Cicero a person who could help them. With food,
and many everyday problems, they would go to fr. Cicero asking for
help. And Cicero would do something, find a job, find a house,
provide food, and these charities. Also it is told that Cicero would
give counsels, based on the gospel wisdon.
Like these:
“Who had killed, don’t murder anymore.
Who had stolen, don’t rob anymore”
“live a fraternal life,
Forgive, as Mary forgave the death of her son”

Maria of Araújo was completely surpassed, She died as a beata, but

buried her tomb was violated and the took away her body, and it
never more were found. It is like they were trying to erase the story.
Really the Romans did not want it to be.

Fr. Cicero, as it obeyed the church, at the same time he maintained

himself in permeant tension with it. And died in this tension.

After his death, he became even more popular. They created a

romaria to his city, and many devotes would could there to ask
Godfather Father Cicero a blessing, a intercession, as seeking the
help of a saint. Yes, to many he was a saint, even today to many he
is a saint.

There is a lot cases. I heard people telling that he appear, as a

ghost, and bless, and do miracles, and help who call for him. So
many Brazilians, especially of northeast Brazil (not in south, where I
live actually), testimony blessing they got from him.

Well. In the 60’s, 70’s 80’s evagelism, avivalism, statated to became

very popular in Brazil. The Romans were worried. Then they stated
some movements and reforms to not loose Brazil to the evangelical.
Like charismatic renovation, they called it. And in this context, the
church is reviewing the case of Fr. Cicero.
This is a complex issue. I need to explain.

Brazil was colonized by Portugal, and so catholicism here were part

to the Royar portuguese monarchies, that is a Iberian Catholicism,
with propers characterisctic. Fr. Cicero is from a time in Brazil
history, that Brazil passed from a monarchy to a republic. But He
was a man of the old monarchical Brazil, that comes from the
colonial times. In the late 19th century first 20th, Rome was trying
to increase control over, and bring everything under her most direct
control. In Brazil they do it by sending Italians priest, or European
priest there werer aligned with the vatican projects.
Fr.Cicero was a man of the old Brazil, colonial, of a type of
catholicism, taht were more linked with portuguese royal dynasties.
Well, theses things functions as a network of relations, where
aristocracy have their divisions and diferences in Europe.

And a these time too protestantism arrive in Brazil. So the catholics

and protestants are in conflict since for the control over the
masses. Vatican seems that wants to increase centralization.

And som, in receei years, the vatican is reviewing fr. Cicero Case,
And in 2015 the pope Francisdid a reconciliationhim, and last year,
2022, he as considered officially a servant of god. The Brazilian was
him to became canonized as a saint, and they are struggling the
vatican bureaucracy for the realization of this.

But he is acclaimed by the devotees already as a saint. The Saint of

Juazeiro
Of course the protestant in Brazil do not like it, as usually they
would not allow people to have rosary, statues, or saints in their
houses.

Romaria sound (called bendito, this one narrating the Cico funeral )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYVMWoQAuqc

A journal (turn on the legends, translation).

https://youtu.be/iURtdpFOtAw

Report

I
 :‫ראשון קדמון ונצחי והוא שהמציא וממציא כל מה שנמצא במציאות והוא האלוה ב״ה‬
The existence of God: Every person of Israel must believe and know that there is a
preexisting, eternal First Being. And He brought into being, and brings into being, everything
that exists. And that is God, may He be blessed.

His perfection: One must also know that the true understanding of this Being, may His name
be blessed, is not grasped at all by anyone besides Him. And we only know this about Him:
That he is a perfect Being in every type of perfection and there is no deficiency in Him at all.
(However we have known these things by tradition from the forefathers and from the
prophets. And all of Israel grasped them at the stand at Mount Sinai, clearly understood their
truth and taught them to their children - one generation after [another, until] this day. As
Moses commanded them from the word of the Almighty [Deuteronomy 4:9], "lest you forget
the things that you saw with your own eyes, etc. and you shall make them known to your
children and to your children’s children." However all of these matters are even validated by
way of the investigation of proofs that can be studied. And it is necessary for them to be so
based, on what exists and on that which can be comprehended from them - which we see with
our [own] eyes - according to the disciplines of science, geometry, astronomy and other
disciplines from which you can take true bases from which the clarity of these true matters is
derived. Yet we will not write at length about this now. Rather we will present the bases for
their truth and arrange the things clearly according to the tradition that is in our hands and
well-known to all of our nation.)

ntroduction
Part One
On the Creator
On the Purpose of Creation
On Mankind
On Human Responsibility
On the Spiritual Realm
Part Two
On Divine Providence in General
On Mankind in This World
On Personal Providence
On Israel and the Nations
On How Providence Works
On the System of Providence
On the Influence of the Stars
On Specific Modes of Providence
Part Three
On the Soul and Its Activities
On Divine Names and Witchcraft
On Divine Inspiration and Prophecy
On the Prophetic Experience
On Moshe's Unique Status
Part Four
On Divine Service
On Torah Study
On Love and Fear of God
On the Sh'ma and Its Blessings
On Prayer
On the Daily Order of Prayer
On Divine Service and the Calendar
On Seasonal Commandments
On Blessings

Pallottines, officially named the Society of the Catholic Apostolate