RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- An 18-hour parade of 20,000 samba dancers, the highlight of the Rio carnival, ended Monday as the four-day pre-Lenten celebration came under fire from the Catholic Church.
Roman Catholic Archbishop Eugenio Salles criticized carnival participants for ignoring limits of decency and said the whole thing is starting to go too far.
'Carnival cannot become depraved with offensive exhibitionism or ... an opportunity for orgy,' he said.
The archbishop also said that at a time of economic crisis when many Brazilians are in need, 'We wonder if it is reasonable to spend so much and devote so much sacrifice to momentary celebrations.'
The parade of the top samba clubs ended well past noon when the last dancers of the Beija-Flor or Hummingbird club shimmied and strutted off to the wild applause of 60,000 fans.
Millions more who could not fit into the grandstands watched live all-night coverage on television.
Otherwise, public participation in spontaneous street carnivals seemed to be continuing a decline that has begun in recent years.
Police said they did not yet have final figures for the holiday death toll in Rio, which normally reaches around 250 from accidents, fights, drownings and heavy drinking.
There was a lot of topless dancing at 1983 carnival balls, but not as much blatant public sex was seen.
A power failure Sunday night blacked out half the Rio samba club parade route for almost an hour. There was no panic, however, and the samba dancers did not bother to stop the procession.
After the blackout, a tropical downpour soaked the event. By sunrise, the sky was clear and at noon the sun was blazing, sending temperatures to well over 100 degrees.
Other Rio residents packed the beaches but treacherous currents made it dangerous for swimming. Life guards said 33 people had to be saved from drowning. Several were hospitalized.
In other cities across Brazil -- principally the northeastern cities of Recife and Salvador -- hundreds of thousands of revelers took to the street for frenzied dancing.
By contrast, in Vienna, 50,000 braved a snowstorm for the city's first carnival parade of 140 colorful floats, marching bands, clowns, decorated horse carts and other attractions.
Vienna's traditional pre-Lent or 'Fasching' season celebration is the ball. Police said the parade was so successful it will probably be repeated next year.
