The Archdiocese of Fortaleza ( la, Archidioecesis Fortalexiensis) is an

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

located in the city of

Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...

in Brazil.

History

On June 6, 1854, it was established by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

, as the Diocese of Ceará from the

Diocese of Olinda The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife ( la, Archidioecesis Olindensis et Recifensis) is a Latin metropolitan archdiocese in northeast Brazil's Pernambuco state. Special churches * Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is a World Herita ...

. Formerly a part of the Diocese of Pernambuco, the district was erected into a separate diocese, suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bahia. João Guerino Gomes was named as first bishop but did not accept the appointment. Father Gomes, who was famous in his day both as an orator and as a philosopher, died in 1859. The first bishop, Luis Antonio dos Santos, founded the diocesan seminaries at Fortaleza and Crato, and, for the

education of girls Female education is a catch-all term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...

, the College of the Immaculate Conception, besides building the church of the Sacred Heart at Fortaleza. On November 10, 1915, it was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Fortaleza.

Special churches

Basílica São Francisco das Chagas, Canindé

Bishops

* Bishops of Ceará ** Luís Antônio dos Santos (28 September 1860 – 13 March 1881), appointed Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia **

Joaquim José Vieira Joaquim is the Portuguese and Catalan version of Joachim and may refer to: * Alberto Joaquim Chipande, politician * Eduardo Joaquim Mulémbwè, politician * Joaquim Agostinho (1943–1984), Portuguese professional bicycle racer * Joaquim Amat-Pi ...

(9 August 1883 – 14 September 1912) ** Manoel da Silva Gomes (16 September 1912 – 10 November 1915) * Archbishops of Fortaleza **

Manoel da Silva Gomes Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * M ...

(10 November 1915 – 24 May 1941) ** Antônio de Almeida Lustosa,

S.D.B. , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...

(19 July 1941 – 16 February 1963) ** José de Medeiros Delgado (10 May 1963 – 26 March 1973) **

Aloísio Lorscheider Aloísio Leo Arlindo Lorscheider, O.F.M. (8 October 1924 – 23 December 2007) was a Brazilian Roman Catholic cardinal during the 1970s and 1980s. He was known as an advocate of liberation theology in the 1970s and was seen by some observers a ...

, O.F.M. (26 March 1973 – 12 July 1995), elevated to Cardinal in 1976; appointed Archbishop of Aparecida, Sao Paulo **

Cláudio Hummes Cláudio Hummes, OFM (; born Auri Alfonso Hummes; 8 August 1934 – 4 July 2022) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 2006 to 2010, having served as Archbishop of Fortaleza fr ...

, O.F.M. (26 May 1996 – 15 April 1998), appointed Archbishop of São Paulo (Cardinal in 2001) ** José Antônio Aparecido Tosi Marques (13 January 1999 – present)

Coadjutor bishop

Manuel Antônio de Oliveira Lopes Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * Manu ...

(1908-1910), did not succeed to see; appointed Bishop of Alagôas

Auxiliary bishops

(1911-1912), appointed Bishop here * Elizeu Simões Mendes (1950-1953), appointed Bishop of Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte * Expedito Eduardo de Oliveira (1953-1959), appointed Bishop of Patos, Paraiba *

Raimundo de Castro e Silva The name Raimundo may refer to: * Raimundo, 2nd Duke of Castel Duino (1907–1986) * Raimundo Calcagno, Spanish screenwriter * Raimundo Rolón, brief President of Paraguay * Raimundo Orsi, Argentinian footballer * Raimundo Diosdado Caballero, Catho ...

(1957-1991) * Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville, C.S.Sp. (1964-1984); Archbishop (personal title) *

Miguel Fenelon Câmara Filho Miguel Fenelon Câmara Filho (4 April 1925 – 28 June 2018) was a Brazilian Catholic archbishop. Câmara Filho was born in Brazil and was ordained to the priesthood in 1948. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of ...

(1970-1974), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Maceió, Alagoas *

Manuel Edmilson da Cruz Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * Manu ...

(1974-1994), appointed Bishop of Limoeiro do Norte, Ceara *

Geraldo Nascimento Geraldo Nascimento (18 May 1936 – 6 November 2022) was a Brazilian Capuchin and bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. Life After studying at the Salesian College in Baturité and at the Marist College of Ceará in Fortaleza, Geraldo Nascimen ...

, O.F.M. Cap. (1992-1997) * Adalberto Paulo da Silva, O.F.M. Cap. (1995-2004) *

Sérgio da Rocha Sérgio da Rocha (; born 21 October 1959) is a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia on 11 March 2020. Previously, he was the Archbishop of Brasília. Biography Da Rocha was born in Dob ...

(2001-2007), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Teresina, Piaui; future Cardinal *

Plínio José Luz da Silva Plinio may refer to: *Pliny, in Italian ** Pliny the Elder (c. 23 – 79) ** Pliny the Younger (61 – c. 113) *Ulmus 'Plinio', an elm cultivar named after Pliny * Plínio (footballer, born 1946) José Plínio de Godoy (born 3 February 1946), k ...

(2001-2003), appointed Bishop of Picos, Piaui * José Luiz Ferreira Salles, C.SS.R. (2006-2012), appointed Bishop of Pesqueira, Pernambuco * Rosalvo Cordeiro de Lima (2011- * José Luiz Gomes de Vasconcelos (2012-2015), appointed Bishop of Sobral, Ceara * Valdemir Vicente Andrade Santos (2018- *

Júlio César Souza de Jesus Júlio is a Portuguese masculine given name. The equivalent in Spanish is Julio. The diminutive form is Julinho, as in Júlio César Teixeira known as Julinho, a Brazilian footballer. See also *Julio (disambiguation) Julio is the Spanish equivale ...

(2018-

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Antônio Xisto Albano, appointed Bishop of São Luís do Maranhão in 1901 * Quintino Rodrigues de Oliveira e Silva, appointed Bishop of Piaui in 1913 (did not take effect); appointed Bishop of Crato, Ceara in 1915

Suffragan dioceses

Diocese of Crateús In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

Diocese of Crato The Roman Catholic Diocese of Crato ( la, Dioecesis Cratensis) is a diocese located in the city of Crato in the Ecclesiastical province of Fortaleza in Brazil. History * October 20, 1914: Established as Diocese of Crato from the Diocese of Cear ...

Diocese of Iguatu The Roman Catholic Diocese of Iguatu ( la, Dioecesis Iguatuvinus) is a diocese located in the city of Iguatu in the Ecclesiastical province of Fortaleza in Brazil. History * January 28, 1961: Established as Diocese of Iguatu from the Diocese of ...

* Diocese of Itapipoca * Diocese of Limoeiro do Norte * Diocese of Quixadá *

Diocese of Sobral The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sobral ( la, Dioecesis Sobralensis) is a diocese located in the city of Sobral in the Ecclesiastical province of Fortaleza in Brazil. History * November 10, 1915: Established as Diocese of Sobral from the Diocese ...

* Diocese of Tianguá

References

Sources

GCatholic.org

Archdiocese website (Portuguese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortaleza Roman Catholic dioceses in Brazil

Religious organizations established in 1854 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century 1854 establishments in Brazil