May 30, 2022

08:05

Ívina Garcia – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – Pope Francis named, this Sunday, 29, new cardinals to compose the College of Cardinals. Among the 21 chosen, two are Brazilians, the archbishop of Brasilia Dom Paulo Cezar and the archbishop of Manaus Dom Leonardo Steiner, now the first cardinal from the Brazilian Amazon.

“Let us pray for the new cardinals, so that by confirming their adhesion to Christ, they may help me in my ministry as bishop of Rome, for the good of all the Holy People of God,” the pope asked after the recitation of the Easter prayer of the ‘Regina Coeli’.

The ceremony with the new cardinals is to take place on August 27, and will be the first solemn act since November 2020. The cardinals chosen will make up the College of Cardinals, responsible for electing a pope if necessary.

With the new body of cardinals, starting in August, the Vatican will have 90 countries represented within the College of Cardinals, 69 of whom will be elective cardinals in an eventual conclave. In 2013, European elector cardinals were the majority and represented about 56% of the total, however, since he took office, Pope Francis has opened space and given voice to less centralized regions, such as Africa, Asia and Oceania.

In addition to the choice of Brazilians, East Timor, Paraguay, Singapore and Mongolia now have representatives in the current College of Cardinals. On the official Vatican News website you can see the complete list of the new cardinals.

CNBB salutes the chosen ones

In a note, the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) celebrated the choice of the Brazilians. For the CNBB, the names of Dom Paulo Cezar Costa and Dom Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, along with the others chosen, “stimulates the church to continuously make communion concrete in all its instances, becoming a church always more solidary”. Read:

CNBB Presidency’s greeting to the new Brazilian cardinals

The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) rejoices with the Holy Father’s choice that Monsignor Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, archbishop of Manaus (AM), and the archbishop of Brasilia (DF), be part of the College of Cardinals. He greets the two new Brazilian cardinals and prays to the Good God to fill them with the necessary strength for the mission they have received today.

The convocation of the Consistory on the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is a strong call to all baptized men and women to assume with commitment the mission of announcing the Good News of the Gospel, working tirelessly for the Kingdom of God.

The communion of the College of Cardinals, experienced around the Successor of Peter, stimulates the Church to continually concretize communion in all its instances, becoming a Church always more solidary and synodal, able to “listen with the heart” to the clamor of those who suffer, “speak with wisdom and teach with love”.

May Aparecida, our mother and patroness of Brazil, shower you with blessings in this service to the Church!

CNBB

Leonardo – Cardinal Steiner

Leonardo Steiner is a Franciscan (appointed bishop by Saint John Paul 2), he was secretary general of the CNBB for two terms, appointed auxiliary bishop of Brasilia by Benedict 16, and Archbishop of Manaus by Pope Francis. He was born on November 6, 1950, in Forquilhinha, State of Santa Catarina, in the diocese of Criciúma (Brazil).

He made his religious profession in the Order of Friars Minor on August 2, 1976, and was ordained a priest on January 21, 1978. He studied Philosophy and Theology at the Franciscans of Petrópolis. Steiner also holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Pedagogy from the Salesian Faculty of Lorena and a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome.

He served as a seminary formator until 1986 and master of novices from 1986 to 1995. From 1995 to 2003 he was professor of philosophy; in 2023 he was assistant pastor of the Bom Jesus Parish of the Archdiocese of Curitiba, and professor of the Bom Jesus Faculty of Philosophy in the city.

In Leonardo Steiner’s journey are also the appointment as Prelate Bishop of São Felix, titular bishop of Tisiduo and auxiliary bishop of Brasilia, and secretary general of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference from 2011 to 2019. On November 27, 2019, Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus (Brazil).

*with information from Vatican News

Read the full list : https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/05/29/0408/00844.html