“Mariama, Our Lady, mother of Christ and mother of men!
Mariama, mother of men of all races, of all colors, of all corners of the earth.
Ask your son that this party not end here, that the final march will be beautiful to live out.
But it is important, Mariama, that the church of your son not stay in words, not rest in applause.
The important thing is that the CNBB, the Brazilian Conference of Bishops, embrace fully the cause of black people.
As she entered fully into the ministry of the earth and into the ministry of the Indians.
It is not enough to ask forgiveness for the mistakes of yesterday.
We need to keep going today without regard for what they say.
Of course they will say, Mariama, that it is political, that it is subversion, that it is communism.
It is the Gospel of Christ, Mariama!
Mariama, dear mother, the black problem ends up connecting with all the great human problems.
With all the absurdities against humanity, with all injustice and oppression.
Mariama, may this end—may this damned manufacture of weapons be truly ended.
What the world needs is to manufacture peace.
Enough injustice!
Enough of some people not knowing what to do with so much land and millions without an inch of land where they can live.
Enough of some having to vomit so that they can eat more while 50 million die of hunger in a single year.
Enough of a few corporations spreading across the world while millions lack a corner where they can get their daily bread.
Mariama, Our Lady, dear mother, it is not even necessary to go as far as in your song.
It is not necessary that the rich leave empty-handed and the poor with their hands full.
Neither poor nor rich!
Not that today’s slaves be tomorrow’s slave masters.
No more slaves!
A world without masters and without slaves.
A world of brothers.
Of brothers not only in name and falsehood.
Of brothers in reality, Mariama!”
Dom Hélder Câmara
Translation: Dr. Christopher Elwood