Pope Francis recently announced Bishop Paulo’s appointment as Cardinal.

On July 7, brother Renato Lima de Oliveira, 16th International President General of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP), was kindly received in audience by the Archbishop of Brasilia, Paulo Cezar Costa. During the visit, brother Renato congratulated Bishop Paulo for his upcoming appointment as cardinal on August 27, which was announced by Pope Francis on May 29.

The President General also gave information about the activities of the SSVP in Brazil and around the world. Two documents were given to the Archbishop: the quinquennial report of the International General Ciouncil and the booklet “How to Create Vincentian Conferences in Universities”. Bishop Paulo Cezar was very pleased with the information and commented, “May you continue serving God and the poor with the beauty of the mission entrusted to you by God. You can always count on me.”

The future cardinal announced that he would launch a campaign to fight hunger on August 13, the feast day of Saint Dulce of the Poor, a Brazilian nun famous for her charitable actions for the most needy. He said, “I count on the effective participation of Vincentians in this campaign, because this is one of the concerns of our Archdiocese: the reduction of poverty.”

“It was a truly pleasant visit. Monsignor Paulo is a very cultured man, but extremely humble. He is interested in the affairs of our Society and considers Vincentian actions meritorious. I was very happy for the affectionate way I was received. God has gifted the residents of Brasília with such a dedicated and generous pastor,” said President Lima de Oliveira.

Profile

Born in 1967 in Rio de Janeiro, Msgr. Paulo was ordained a priest in 1992 at the age of 25. He has been bishop since February 2011, when he became the Auxiliary Bishop of Rio de Janeiro. He holds a doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Italy). His episcopal motto is “I endure all things for the elect.” (In Latin: “Sustineo Propter Electo”).

Msgr. Paulo took office as Archbishop of Brasilia in December 2020. Prior to that appointment, he was Bishop of São Carlos, State of São Paulo, after having served the Church as a priest in several Brazilian cities.

He is a professor and has held important leadership positions in several institutions of higher learning. Within the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (in Portuguese, CNBB), Msgr. Paulo is a member of several groups and commissions, especially the “Episcopal Pastoral Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith”. He also acts as referential bishop of the “Universities Sector of the Church in Brazil”. Msgr. Paulo is a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Vatican.

Source: https://www.ssvpglobal.org/