The bishops of the Episcopal Pastoral Council (Consep) of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) chose the theme for the 2019 Lenten Campaign. After a tie with another proposal, the theme "Fraternity and Public Policies" was chosen – by six votes to four.
The information is published by the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil – CNBB.

The discussion regarding the issue began yesterday morning, right at the start of the Council meeting. Based on 98 suggestions submitted by dioceses, regional bodies, and government agencies, including the Federal Highway Police, the bishops arrived at seven thematic areas that were put to a vote today: public policies, traffic, communication, family, education, human rights, and fraternity.

After resuming the debate and highlighting important elements related to each theme, as well as the relevance of the reflection in the social context of Brazil, the bishops proposed the complete title of the theme for voting. The following nominations received votes: “Fraternity and public policies”, “Fraternity: public policies and human rights” and “Traffic: respect for life”.
The winning proposal gained weight with arguments highlighting that "public policies" is a broader topic encompassing all other proposals considered by the council members, such as human and social rights, family, education, traffic, and communication.

Prayer for the 2019 Fraternity Campaign

Merciful and compassionate Father,
who govern the world with justice and love,
Give us a wise heart to recognize the presence of your Kingdom.
between us.
In his great mercy, Jesus,
the beloved Son, dwelling among us
witnessed your infinite love
and proclaimed the Gospel of brotherhood and peace.
May your example teach us to welcome.
the poor and marginalized, our brothers and sisters
with fair public policies,
And let us be builders of a humane and caring society.
May the divine Spirit ignite in our Church.
sincere charity and brotherly love;
May honesty and justice shine forth in our society.
and let us be true citizens of the “new heaven and the new earth”
Amen.

Source: CNBB / Kairos Portal