- Odilo Scherer
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Odilo Pedro Scherer Cardinal-Archbishop of São Paulo 
See São Paulo Enthroned March 11, 2007—present
(4 years, 257 days)Predecessor Cláudio Hummes Successor incumbent Other posts Previously Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo Orders Created Cardinal November 24, 2007 Personal details Born September 21, 1949
Cerro Largo, Rio Grande do Sul, BrazilOdilo Pedro Scherer (born September 21, 1949) is a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of São Paulo, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.
Contents
Biography
Early life and ordination
Scherer, a German-Brazilian, was born in Cerro Largo, Rio Grande do Sul, to Edwino and Francisca (née Steffens) Scherer, and is a distant relative of the late Cardinal Archbishop of Porto Alegre Alfredo Scherer. His mother was descended from German immigrants from Saarland.
After attending the minor and major seminaries in Curitiba, Scherer studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná and the Pontifical Gregorian University (from where he obtained his Doctorate of Sacred Theology in 1991) in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Armando Círio, OSI, on December 7, 1976.
Professor and curialist
He served as director and professor at the diocesan seminary of Cascavel (1977–1978), the diocesan seminary of Toledo (1979–1982, 1993), and the Centro Interdiocesano de Teologia de Cascavel (1991–1993).
Before doing pastoral work in Toledo from 1985 to 1988, Scherer taught philosophy at the Ciências Humanas Arnaldo Busatto (1980–1985), and theology at the Instituto Teológico Paulo VI (1985). He then taught at the Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná until 1994.
From 1994 to 2001, he was an official of the Congregation for Bishops in the Roman Curia, while serving as a Roman pastor and chaplain during his spare time.[1]
Bishop and Archbishop
On November 28, 2001, Scherer was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo and Titular Bishop of Novi. He received his episcopal consecration on February 2, 2002 from Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, OFM, with Archbishops Armando Círio and Anuar Battisti serving as co-consecrators. He was made Secretary General of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference in 2003.
Cardinal
Pope Benedict XVI named Scherer as the seventh Archbishop of São Paulo on March 21, 2007. He replaced Cardinal Hummes, who was made Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, and thus brought an end to almost four decades of Franciscan leadership of the archdiocese before Hummes. Paulo Evaristo Arns, had helmed it for 28 years. The Brazilian prelate accompanied Pope Benedict for a great part of his visit to Brazil in May 2007, which was largely held in the former's see of São Paulo, also delivering a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the Pope's arrival.
Styles of
Odilo Scherer
Reference style His Eminence Spoken style Your Eminence Informal style Cardinal See São Paulo On 17 October 2007, the Pope announced that he would make Scherer a Cardinal. Scherer was elevated to the College of Cardinals in the consistory at St. Peter's Basilica on 24 November 2007, becoming Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale.[2]
On 12 June 2008, in addition to his main duties he was appointed by Benedict as a member of the Congregation for the Clergy.[3] On 5 January 2011 he was appointed among the first members of the newly created Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation.[4]
He is considered by some to be papabile and is considered by many to be the top candidate to become the successor to Pope Benedict XVI.[5]
Views
General outlook
Scherer is considered to be theologically moderate.[6]
Evangelization
According to a July 23, 2010 article by the website of the Catholic news organization ZENIT, Cardinal Scherer thinks there is an "evangelization deficit" around the globe today, which is why Pope Benedict established a new division of the Roman Curia to deal with that issue. Cardinal Scherer was quoted in the article as saying that the Pope "brings all to understand that this [new evangelization] is an objective of his, and that it must be the attitude of the Church worldwide, to respond to the challenges launched by the present 'change of age in the history of humanity.'"
Abortion
Cardinal Scherer asked Brazilians that if the country’s Supreme Court legalizes abortion for babies with anencephaly, what will be the next group ‘incompatible with life’ to be eliminated ? [7]
Liberation theology
He once criticized liberation theology's use of "Marxism as a tool of analysis," yet supported its focus on social injustice and poverty.[8]
Secularism in Brazil
Cardinal Scherer has argued that removing crucifixes in public places would not be in the best interests of Brazilian secularism.[9]
Priests and the liturgy
In reference to the popular Brazilian priest Marcelo Rossi, Scherer stated that, "Priests aren't showmen... The Mass is not to be transformed into a show".[10]
References
- ^ Whispers in the Loggia. Benedictine Rule: You Pick Your Successor March 21, 2007
- ^ "Annuncio di Concistorio per la Creazione di nuovi Cardinali" (in Italian) (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 2007-10-17. http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/20898.php?index=20898&po_date=17.10.2007&lang=en. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ Holy See Press Office daily bulletin
- ^ DI MEMBRI DEL PONTIFICIO CONSIGLIO PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA NUOVA EVANGELIZZAZIONE
- ^ http://www.popes-and-papacy.com/popes_and_the_papacy/2008/12/next-pope-my-papabili-list-for-2009.html
- ^ BBC Brazil. Papa nomeia Dom Odilo Scherer para Arquidiocese de SP March 21, 2007
- ^ Brazilian cardinal says after abortion for anencephaly babies others could be next
- ^ New York Times. As Pope Heads to Brazil, Rival Theology Persists May 7, 2007
- ^ http://zenit.org/article-21851?l=french ZENIT article
- ^ New York Times. Brazil Greets Pope But Questions His Perspective May 9, 2007
External links
- Papabili list for 2009 at "Popes-and-Papacy"
- Archdiocese of São Paulo
- Catholic-Hierarchy
- Catholic-pages
Preceded by
Cláudio Hummes, OFMArchbishop of São Paulo
21 March 2007–presentSucceeded by
incumbentCategories:- 1949 births
- Living people
- Brazilian Roman Catholic archbishops
- Brazilian people of German descent
- Brazilian Roman Catholics
- Brazilian cardinals
- People from Rio Grande do Sul
- 20th-century Roman Catholic priests
- 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops
- Roman Catholic Church in Brazil
- Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI
- Alumni of the Pontifical Gregorian University
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