Manuel Monteiro de Castro

Styles of Manuel Monteiro de Castro
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	none

Manuel Monteiro de Castro (29 March 1938) is the current secretary of the Congregation for Bishops since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 3 July 2009.

Career in Church diplomacy

He was a priest in the Archdiocese of Braga. In 1985 he was appointed archbishop and pro-nuncio to the countries in the West Indies that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See, including The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, and apostolic delegate for the other territories, such as the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Netherlands Antilles. And at the same time was appointed archbishop. He was consecrated by Cardinal Secretary of State Agostino Casaroli. Two years later, when Antigua and Barbuda had established diplomatic relations with the Holy See, he became pro-nuncio there too instead of apostolic delegate. In 1998 he was transferred to South Africa, with responsibility also for some neighbouring countries. And in 2000 he became Apostolic Nuncio to Spain and Andorra. As such, he met with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to reduce the tension between the Spanish Government and the Church.

Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops

On 3 July 2009, Pope Benedict appointed him secretary of the Congregation for Bishops,^[1] replacing Archbishop Francesco Monterisi who was the same day appointed as archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The Congregation that considers candidates for appointing bishops for Latin Rite non-missionary dioceses, except in cases that fall within the competence the Section for Public Affairs of the Secretariat of State (appointments that require some form of consultation with governments) or the Congregation for the Oriental Churches (in the Middle East and Greece).

Traditionally the Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops is also Secretary of the College of Cardinals, and Monteiro de Castro was formally appointed to this role on 21 October 2009.^[2] He is also one of the consultors of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.[1]

Views

Homosexual relationships

Monsignor Monteiro de Castro has been cited in the liberal press for his views on homosexual relationships. He told a conference of Spanish bishops that "there are other forms of cohabitation and it is good that they be recognised". He insisted that same-sex unions could not be regarded as marriages, but he implied that they were at least worthy of compassion.^[3]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Ambrose Battista De Paoli	Apostolic Nuncio to South Africa 2 February 1998–1 March 2000	Succeeded by Blasco Francisco Collaço
Preceded by Lajos Kada	Apostolic Nuncio to Spain 1 March 2000–3 July 2009	Succeeded by Renzo Fratini
Preceded by Francesco Monterisi	Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops 3 July 2009–incumbent	Succeeded by incumbent

References

1. ^ NOMINA DEL SEGRETARIO DELLA CONGREGAZIONE PER I VESCOVI
2. ^ Press Office of the Holy See 21.10.09
3. ^ Papal envoy breaks ranks on gay couples

Persondata
Name	Monteiro De Castro, Manuel
Alternative names
Short description	secretary of the Congregation for Bishops
Date of birth	29 March 1938
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death