In Pace Christi

Fr. Mario Fioravanti died at the hospital of San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, on 7 November last. He had been rushed to hospital the day before. It seemed he was having one of his usual crises and needed only a few days rest before returning home, as he had done many times before in recent years. This time his heart gave out. He would have been seventy-three years old in two weeks. He had been living with his family for a year. His poor condition, accentuated by constant problems and his psychological need to have people he trusted looking after him, were the main factors in the decision to have him stay with his family rather than in a Comboni community.

He was born on 27 November, 1939, at San Benedetto del Tronto (AP). He was ordained on 26 June, 1965, and, after spending two years in Rome in mission promotion, he was appointed to Brazil. He left in 1967, appointed to Mantenopolis, in the state of Espírito Santo, a parish which had been entrusted to the Comboni Missionaries about ten years earlier. In those years, the diocese was trying to implement the difficult renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council. Fr. Mario did his best to understand this process and give his contribution.
He was recalled to Italy after a few years, in 1972, to serve at Sulmona where he was in charge of vocations promotion. He did this work diligently for four years and, in 1976, he returned to Brazil. The Comboni confreres there were a young group and full of energy. It was a time of new and important developments. Following the wave of migration which, moved by the official state policy of occupying Amazzonia, brought about the movement of tens of thousands of people from the south and the south-east of the country towards the great forest, a group of Comboni Missionaries had opened nuclei of presence among the people. Development was taking place along the great road which passed for more than a thousand kilometres through the middle of the newly created state of Rondonia. According to the plan, those who came to Rondonia would have received well-marked property, and towns and cities would have sprung up with infrastructure and services. The state promised to give all necessary help. What happened was that the occupation of the land took place in turmoil and confusion. The problem of the land being fought for was becoming explosive; uncontrolled deforestation was taking place, there were no schools, hospitals or public services... and there was also the problem of the Indios who were completely defenceless and unable to oppose the intrusion of the new conquistadores. The Comboni community of Porto Velho, to which Fr. Mario belonged, soon became a reference point for those going to the city to solve their problems. Among them were bishops, priests, men and women religious, and people connected with unions or other organisations. Fr. Mario, with the other members of the community, tried to act as a bridge. He helped, he welcomed and pointed out the way. On many occasions he placed himself on the line by reporting serious crimes that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. He refused to give up even when it was a question of assisting in reports, especially against great landowners, in defence of the peasants and the Indios.

In 1982, he was transferred to São Paulo. He asked permission to study anthropology at the university in order to understand the conflict and the problem of the Indios uprooted from their traditional world – something he took very much to heart. He would have liked to lead a community dedicated to this service. However, having completed his studies, he was sent to a newly-opened community in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro where he came up against the terrible situation of the street children. “There are about 30 million Brazilian children who suffer from malnutrition and other forms of underdevelopment”, he stated. The orphans or the children who ran away from home due to difficult situations were sometimes killed, eliminated with the pretext of preventing crime. He wrote: “To deny children the right to be born and live in a real family, in a climate of peace, security and affection amounts to taking their lives. The same applies when not enough is done to give children a life of dignity, good schooling and education”.

In that parish, Fr. Mario continued to take an interest in the African-Brazilian world, a project which required particular attention. He tried to play his part as best he could, taking part in the normal work of accompanying the Christian communities in the care of the Comboni Missionaries. He did this work for six years until he was asked to be procurator at Rio de Janeiro. He went to stay in a college run by Sisters, living in the house reserved for the spiritual assistant. Apart from doing this job, he cooperated with the nearby parish and welcomed anyone coming from the most distant communities, especially in the north-east and in need of logistic support or help in bureaucratic, juridical or administrative problems.

When the house was closed in early 2000, he was transferred to a nearby community in the diocese of Duque de Caxias, where he had already worked a number of years before, when he had finished his studies. It was there that the first symptoms began to show of a disease which, starting with the heart, gradually weakens the whole body with serious consequences, even psychological. It was the beginning for him of a time of great fragility until he agreed to go to live with his family, where death soon overtook him.

Fr. Mario loved the mission and worked for a different and better world. He was always present in difficult moments, both for the confreres and for the Indios. He was a reference point in situations of violence and misery. He had a humanity that was rich and deep. Convinced he should not remain silent, he proclaimed Christ and his Gospel always and everywhere.
(Fr. Giovanni Munari)
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 251 suppl. In Memoriam, aprile 2012, pp. 25-30.