The Archdiocese of São Paulo (Latin: Archidioecesis Sancti Pauli in Brasilia) is a Latin Metropolitan Archbishopric of the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil.
The Archdiocese is currently headed by Odilo Scherer since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 March 2007, an appointment that ended almost four decades of Franciscan leadership in the archdiocese: both predecessors, Cardinals Paulo Evaristo Arns and Cláudio Hummes, belonged to that Order.
Its cathedral episcopal see, the Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Assunção e São Paulo, in the metropolis São Paulo, was dedicated to the Assumption of Mary on September 5, 1964. The city also has three minor basilicas : Basílica de Nossa Senhora da Assunção, Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo (both also Marian) and Basílica do Santíssimo Sacramento (dedicated to the Hly Sacrament).
The Diocese of São Paulo was erected by Pope Benedict XIV on 6 December 1745, on vast territory split off from the then Diocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro.
It lost territories on 1892.04.27 to establish the Diocese of Curitiba and on 1907.09.08 to establish the Diocese of Campanha.
It became a Metropolitan Archdiocese on 7 June 1908, having lost more territories to establish the Dioceses of Botucatu, Campinas, Ribeirão Preto, São Carlos do Pinhal and Taubaté.
It lost further territories to establish more Dioceses : on 1924.07.04 Sorocaba and Santos, on 1925.07.24 Bragança Paulista, on 1954.07.18 Santo André, on 1958.04.19 Metropolitan Aparecida, on 1962.06.09 Diocese of Mogi das Cruzes, on 1966.11.07 Jundiaí and on 1989.03.15 the dioceses of Campo Limpo, Osasco, Santo Amaro and São Miguel Paulista.
It enjoyed papal visits from Pope John Paul II in July 1980 and Pope Benedict XVI in May 2007.
(all Roman Rite)
Suffragan Bishops of São Paulo
Bernardo Rodrigues Nogueira (15 Dec 1745 - death 7 Nov 1748 )
Antônio da Madre de Deus Galvão, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (16 March 1750 - death 19 March 1764 )
Manuel da Ressurreição, O.F.M. (17 June 1771 - death 21 Oct 1789 )
Miguel da Madre de Deus da Cruz, Discalced Franciscans (O.F.M. Disc.) (17 Dec 1791 - 22 Jan 1795 ), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Braga (Portugal) (1815.09.04 – death 1827.08.21)
Mateus de Abreu Pereira (1 June 1795 - death 5 May 1824 )
Manuel Joaquim Gonçalves de Andrade (25 June 1827 - death 26 May 1847 )
Antônio Joaquim de Melo (5 May 1851 - death 16 Feb 1861 )
Sebastião Pinto do Rego (11 May 1861 - death 30 April 1868 )
Lino Deodato Rodrigues de Carvalho (21 May 1871 - death 19 Aug 1894 )
Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti (19 Aug 1894 - 24 Aug 1897), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of São Paulo (1892.08.26 – 1894.08.19) & Titular Bishop of Argos (see) (1892.08.26 – 1894.08.19), previously Bishop of Goiás (Brazil) (1891.06.26 – 1892.08.26); later Metropolitan Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (1897.08.31 – 1930.04.18), created Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Bonifacio ed Alessio (1905.12.14 – 1930.04.18)
Antônio Cândido Alvarenga (28 Nov 1898 Appointed - death 1 April 1903), previously Bishop of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (1877.09.21 – 1898.11.28)
José de Camargo Barros (9 Nov 1903 - 4 Aug 1906 ), previously Bishop of Curitiba (Brazil) (1894.01.16 – 1903.11.09)
Leopoldo Duarte e Silva (18 Dec 1906 - 7 June 1908 see below), previously Bishop of Curitiba (Brazil) (1904.05.10 – 1906.12.18)
Metropolitan Archbishops of São Paulo
Leopoldo Duarte e Silva (see above 7 June 1908 - death 13 Nov 1938)
José Gaspar d'Afonseca e Silva (29 July 1939 Appointed - 27 Aug 1943 Died), succeeding as former Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo (1935.02.23 – 1939.07.29) & Titular Bishop of Barca (1935.02.23 – 1939.07.29)
Carlos Carmelo de Vasconcelos Motta (13 Aug 1944 - 18 April 1964), previously Titular Bishop of Algiza (1932.07.29 – 1935.12.19) & Auxiliary Bishop of Diamantina (Brazil) (1932.07.29 – 1935.12.19), Metropolitan Archbishop of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (1935.12.19 – 1944.08.13); also created Cardinal-Priest of S. Pancrazio (1946.02.22 – 1982.09.18), President of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (1952 – 1958), Apostolic Administrator of Aparecida (Brazil) (1958.04.19 – 1964.04.18); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Aparecida (1964.04.18 – 1982.09.18), also Apostolic Administrator of Lorena (Brazil) (1970 – 1971.11.03), Protopriest of Sacred College of Cardinals (1977.08.02 – 1982.09.18)
Agnelo Rossi (1 Nov 1964 - 22 Oct 1970), previously Bishop of Barra do Piraí (Brazil) (1956.03.05 – 1962.09.06), Metropolitan Archbishop of Ribeirão Preto (Brazil) (1962.09.06 – 1964.11.01); later created Cardinal-Priest of Gran Madre di Dio (1965.02.25 – 1984.06.25), Prefect of Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (1970.10.22 – 1984.04.08), Camerlengo of Sacred College of Cardinals (1976.05.25 – 1977.06.27), President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (1984.04.08 – 1989.12.06), Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina–Poggio Mirteto (1984.06.25 – 1995.05.21), Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia (1986.12.19 – 1993.05.31) & Cardinal Dean of College of Cardinals (1986.12.19 – retired 1993.05.31)
Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M. (22 Oct 1970 - 15 April 1998), previously Titular Bishop of Respecta (1966.05.02 – 1970.10.22) & Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo (1966.05.02 – 1970.10.22); later created Cardinal-Priest of S. Antonio da Padova in Via Tuscolana (1973.03.05 – 2016.12.14), Protopriest of College of Cardinals (2012.07.09 – 2016.12.14)
Cláudio Hummes, O.F.M. (15 April 1998 - 31 Oct 2006), previously Titular Bishop of Carcabia (1975.03.22 – 1975.12.29) & Coadjutor Bishop of Santo André (Brazil) (1975.03.22 – 1975.12.29) succeeding as Bishop of Santo André (1975.12.29 – 1996.05.29), Metropolitan Archbishop of Fortaleza (Brazil) (1996.05.29 – 1998.04.15)
Apostolic Administrator Manuel Parrado Carral (2006.12.03 – 2007.03.21) while Titular Bishop of Iunca in Byzacena (2001.01.03 – 2008.01.09) & Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo (2001.01.03 – 2008.01.09); later Bishop of São Miguel Paulista (Brazil) (2008.01.09 – ...)
Odilo Scherer (21 March 2007 - ...), previously Titular Bishop of Novi (2001.11.28 – 2007.03.21) & Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo (2001.11.28 – 2007.03.21), Secretary General of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (2003 – 2007); also created Cardinal-Priest of S. Andrea al Quirinale (2007.11.24 [2008.02.17] – ...), Member of Commission of Cardinals overseeing the Institute for Works of Religion (2008.02.24 – 2014.01.15), Member of Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Apostolic See (2009.05.09 – 2014.02.24)
Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and these Suffragan bishoprics, mostly Latin too, but also a few Eastern Catholic, notably Byzantine Rite :
Diocese of Campo Limpo
Diocese of Guarulhos
Diocese of Mogi das Cruzes
Diocese of Osasco
Diocese of Santo Amaro
Diocese of Santo André
Diocese of Santos
Diocese of São Miguel Paulista
Maronite Eparchy of Nossa Senhora do Líbano em São Paulo
Eparchy of Nossa Senhora do Paraíso em São Paulo
