Archbishop Leonardo Steiner, OFM, nominated Cardinal

"On Monday and Tuesday, 29 and 30 August, there will be a meeting of all the Cardinals to reflect on the new Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium; and on Saturday, 27 August, I will hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals", said Pope Francis on Sunday 29 May 2022 at the recitation of the Regina Coeli in St Peter's Square in Rome. Among the twenty one new cardinals is Brazilian Franciscan Archbishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus, Brazil.   Archbishop Leonardo was born on 6 November 1950 in Forquilhinas, Brazil. He took his first vows in 1976 and was ordained a priest on 21 January 1978 by his cousin, Franciscan Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns. He obtained his Licentiate and Doctorate in Philosophy at the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome. After his studies and a period as Vice-Pastor and Parish Priest, he was Formator in the Seminary until 1986 and Novice Master from 1986 to 1995. From 1999 to 2003, he was Secretary General of the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome. Returning to Brazil in 2003, he was Assistant Pastor of the Bom Jesus Parish in the Archdiocese of Curitiba and Lecturer in the Bom Jesus Faculty of Philosophy in Brazil. On 2 February 2005, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Bishop Prelate of São Félix and was ordained Bishop on the following 16 April. On 21 September 2011, he was appointed titular Bishop of Tisiduo and Auxiliary Bishop of Brasilia. In addition to his academic posts, he served as Secretary General of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference from May 2011 to May 2019. In 2019, he was appointed Archbishop of Manaus in the Amazon. To the new Cardinal, we offer the best wishes and prayers of the Order that his ministry to the Church will bear abundant fruits.