FOR A COUNTRY WHICH prioritises football, carnival and samba over statecraft and diplomacy, a goof-up over the "family photo"of leaders at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last month was not surprising.
Protocol in Brazil has been customarily so lax that when Pope Benedict XVI visited Brazil in 2007, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held the pontiff by his arm. Last year, Lula again discomfited believers around the world when he embraced Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican.
The hug reverberated through the conformist Vatican media. Ever since anyone can remember, the Catholic pontiff is shown respect by the laity by kissing the ring on his right hand.
Touching his holiness is a strict no, no unless the pope initiates physical contact. It has been the same with British monarchs. Lula ignored protocol and defied tradition, risking the ire of Catholics in Brazil, whose number outranks the faithful in any other country.
Dit verhaal komt uit de December 08, 2024 editie van THE WEEK India.
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Dit verhaal komt uit de December 08, 2024 editie van THE WEEK India.
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