{"id":1427,"date":"2020-07-17T00:45:17","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T00:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bi3a.com\/Catholics\/?p=1427"},"modified":"2023-08-21T12:17:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T12:17:39","slug":"world-wide-monasteries-sao-paulo-cathedral-of-our-lady-of-paradise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.melkitecouncil.com\/Catholics\/world-wide-monasteries-sao-paulo-cathedral-of-our-lady-of-paradise\/","title":{"rendered":"Sao Paulo – Cathedral of Our Lady of Paradise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cathedral of Our Lady of Paradise<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The World\u2019s Largest Melkite Community in Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Greek Melkite Catholic Church is conscious of being the oldest in the world, direct and immediate successor of the Apostles. H.E. Patriarch Gregory III, bears the title \u201cPatriarch of Antioch and all the East, Alexandria and Jerusalem\u201d, the first centers of Christianity.<\/p>\n

The Greek Melkite faithful in Brazil are generally inhabitants of the Middle East, that due to the crisis and persecution, immigrated from the nineteenth century. With the growth of this community, the first Parish priest, Archimandrite (Eastern Ecclesiastical title) arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1939, and seven years later established the first parish in Rio de Janeiro: the Church of Saint Bassil. In 1972, Pope Paul VI named the first Eparch (Bishop) of the new Eastern diocese, based in Sao Paulo.<\/p>\n

The cornerstone of\u00a0the church Our Lady of Paradise, current Greek Melkite Catholic Cathedral of Brazil<\/strong>, was launched on August 23, 1951, with Benedito Calixto, de Jesus Neto authored project.<\/p>\n

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Paradise expresses, through its architecture, tradition and environment of the Eastern churches, especially for its beautiful \u201cIconostasis\u201d (division between the sanctuary \u2013 where is the alter and the church of the ship). In it are three doors and also the icons (images) of the Apostles and two precious Holy Icons of Christ Pantokrator (Christ Almighty) and the Theotokos (Mother of God). The paintings in the Apse of the sanctuary, the ceiling and side walls express the theological aspect of the Oriental tradition, which seeks to present the history of salvation in the form of images, causing the faithful to enter the temple, can contemplate several biblical passages, leading him to understand the various movements performed in the liturgical act.<\/p>\n