Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte

Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte Archidioecesis Bellohorizontinus Arquidiocese de Belo Horizonte
Christ the King Cathedral
Location
Country	Brazil
Ecclesiastical province	Belo Horizonte
Statistics
Area	7,240 km2 (2,800 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 4,748,000 3,324,000 (70%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	11 February 1921 (103 years ago)
Cathedral	Christ the King Cathedral
Patron saint	Our Lady of Piedade
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Archbishop	Dom Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo
Metropolitan Archbishop	Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo
Auxiliary Bishops	Joaquim Giovanni Mol Guimarães Geovane Luis da Silva Vicente de Paula Ferreira
Website
www.arquidiocesebh.org.br

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte (Latin: Archidioecesis Bellohorizontinus) is an archdiocese located in the city of Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

History

• February 11, 1921: Established as Diocese of Belo Horizonte from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mariana.
• February 1, 1924: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte.

Special churches

Interior of the Belo Horizonte Cathedral (Catedral da Boa Viagem)

Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
(Church of Saint Francis of Assisi) in Ouro Prêto

Minor Basilicas:

• Basílica de São João Maria Vianney.
• Basílica Nossa Senhora de Lourdes.
• Basílica Estadual Nossa Senhora da Piedade. (small church)
• Basílica Estadual das Romarias. (major church)
• Our Lady of Good Voyage Archdiocesan Sanctuary, Belo Horizonte
• Our Lady of Mercy Stadual Sanctuary

World Heritage Church: UNESCO World Heritage Site (as part of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble)

• Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha

Leadership

Bishops of Belo Horizonte: (Roman rite)

• Archbishop Antônio dos Santos Cabral (1921.11.21 – 1924.02.01)

Archbishops of Belo Horizonte: (Roman rite)

• Archbishop Antônio dos Santos Cabral (1924.02.01 – 1967.11.15)
• Archbishop João Resende Costa, S.D.B. (1967.11.15 – 1986.02.05)
• Serafim Cardeal Fernandes de Araújo (1986.02.05 – 2004.01.28)
• Archbishop Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo (2004.01.28 – present)

Other affiliated bishops

Coadjutor archbishops

• Hugo Bressane de Araújo (1951-1954), did not succeed to the see; appointed Archbishop (Personal Title) of Marília, São Paulo
• João Resende (Rezende) Costa, S.D.B. (1957-1967)
• Serafim Fernandes de Araújo (1982-1986); future Cardinal

Auxiliary bishops

• Geraldo María de Morais Penido (1956-1957), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Juiz de Fora
• Serafim Fernandes de Araújo (1959-1982), appointed Coadjutor here; future Cardinal
• José Dalvit, F.S.C.J. (1973-1977)
• Arnaldo Ribeiro (1975-1988), appointed Archbishop of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo
• Werner Franz Siebenbrock, S.V.D. (1988-1994), appointed Bishop of Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro
• Sebastião Roque Rabelo Mendes (1989-2004)
• David Dias Pimentel (1996-2001), appointed Bishop of São João da Boa Vista, São Paulo
• Décio Sossai Zandonade, S.D.B. (1996-2003), appointed Bishop of Colatina, Espirito Santo
• Joaquim Giovanni Mol Guimarães (2006-
• Aloísio Jorge Pena Vitral (2006-2009), appointed Bishop of Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais
• Wilson Luís Angotti Filho (2011-2015), appointed Bishop of Taubaté, São Paulo
• Luis Gonzaga Féchio (2011-2016), appointed Bishop of Amparo, São Paulo
• João Justino de Medeiros Silva (2011-2017), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais
• Edson José Oriolo dos Santos (2015-2019), appointed Bishop of Leopoldina, Minas Gerais
• Geovane Luís da Silva (2016-
• Otacilio Francisco Ferreira de Lacerda (2016-2019), appointed Bishop of Guanhães, Minas Gerais
• Vicente de Paula Ferreira, C.SS.R. (2017-

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Alexandre Gonçalves do Amaral, appointed Bishop of Uberaba in 1939
• Alberto Taveira Corrêa, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Brasília, Distrito Federal in 1991

Suffragan dioceses

• Diocese of Divinópolis
• Diocese of Luz
• Diocese of Oliveira
• Diocese of Sete Lagoas

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Diocese website