Cardinal Tempesta, the ‘worker bishop’ with communications skills

Last updated on: February 25, 2014 at 7:06 am by CNA Daily News

Cardinal Tempesta, the ‘worker bishop’ with communications skills 2014-02-25T07:06:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb 25, 2014 / 12:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- When he was appointed archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Orani Tempesta – newly made a cardinal — promised to visit each parish of the populous local Church, and he has been making good on this promise.

The cardinal archbishop has been making progress in visiting the 252 parishes of his archdiocese since he was appointed to Rio de Janeiro in 2009.

The Brazilian newspaper “Folha” writes that Cardinal Tempesta’s profile is similar to that of Pope Francis, and that their visions for the Church mirror each other.

Cardinal Tempesta was born in 1950, and entered the Cistercian monastery of Sao Bernardo in 1967. He was solemnly professed as a member of the Cistercian order in 1969, studied philosophy at Sao Bernardo, and theology at the Pius IX theological institute in Sao Paulo.

He was ordained a priest in 1974, and in 1984 became prior of his monastery. He also served as a parish priest and communications director for the St. John of Boa Vista diocese, and taught at the diocese’s Immaculate Heart of Mary seminary.

When Sao Bernardo priory was elevated to an abbey in 1996, Cardinal Tempesta was elected as its first abbot.

Cardinal Tempesta was consecrated bishop of the Rio Preto diocese in 1997; he also served as apostolic administrator of the Cistercian’s Territorial Abbey of Claraval from 1999 until it was merged into the Guaxupe diocese in 2002.

He was then transferred in 2004 to the Archdiocese of Belem do Para, a port city at the mouth of the Para River, part of the Amazon river system. While archbishop of Belem, he advocated on the Church’s behalf in the region’s environmental conflicts and attended the 2007 meeting of Latin American bishops at Aparecida.

In 2009, Cardinal Tempesta was appointed Archbishop of St. Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro, a see which has come with a cardinal’s hat since Archbishop Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti was given the red biretta in 1905.

He is known for building consensus: “he seeks to demonstrate … that everyone has to recognize the complementarity of opinions,” Dom Paulo Demartini, abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Sao Jose of Rio Pardo told Rio de Janeiro’s Globo.

Cardinal Tempesta, 63, is known in Brazil as the “worker bishop,” since he has spent much of his time in the episcopate advocating for the poor, showing his proximity to this flock, and addressing issues of poverty.
On arriving in Rio de Janeiro, he promised to visit each of his parishes, and began immediately. No head of the archdiocese has yet been able to visit all his flock. Currently, there are some 3.7 million Catholics in the 252 parishes of Rio de Janeiro.

While remaining a Cistercian who often quotes St. Bernard of Clairvaux in his homilies, Cardinal Tempesta is also devoted to new and social media as means of spreading the Gospel.

He is known for his championing of pro-life issues, having debated with the Brazilian health minister in 2007 about abortion, and he has called on all Christians to live out their vocation as “missionary disciples.”

Cardinal Tempesta hosted the 2013 World Youth Day, where he urged pilgrims to spread the joy and peace of Christ to all peoples.

Cardinal Tempesta is one of 19 men who were added to the college of cardinals in the Feb. 22 consistory. Of the new cardinals, he is the only Brazilian, and one of four from Latin America.

Americas

Previous Post

February 25, 2014

Vatican theologians recognize miracle attributed to Paul VI

Next Post

February 25, 2014 Archbishop Chaput finds two priests unsuitable for ministry

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Isaiah Paul Jesus Elijah