Serafim Fernandes de Araújo

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Serafim Fernandes de Araújo| dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Belo Horizonte|

Serafim Fernandes de Araújo (born August 13, 1924 in Minas Novas, Brazil) is the archbishop emeritus of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and is a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

He was educated at the Seminary of Diamantina where he earned a licentiate in philosophy. He continued his studies from 1949 until 1951 at the Pontifical Gregorian University where he earned doctorates in theology and canon law.

Priesthood

He was ordained on 12 March 1949 in Rome by Luigi Traglia, titular archbishop of "Cesarea di Palestina" and Vicar General of Rome. He worked in Pastoral ministry in Gouveia from 1951 until 1957; in Curvelo until 1959. He was concurrently between 1951 and 1959, chaplain of the Third Battalion of Police, Diamantina; faculty member of the Provincial Seminary of Diamantina; archdiocesan director of catechesis; faculty member of the Teacher's School of Diamantina and several schools in Gouveia.

Episcopate

He was appointed titular bishop of "Verinopoli" and appointed auxiliary bishop of Belo Horizonte by Pope John XXIII on 19 January 1959. He served as rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais) from 1960 until 1981. He participated in the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965. He was promoted to coadjutor archbishop Belo Horizonte on 22 November 1982. He succeeded to the metropolitan see of Belo Horizonte on 5 February 1986.

Cardinalate

He was created Cardinal-Priest of "St. Louis de Montfort" in the consistory of February 21 1998. He resigned the pastoral government of the archdiocese upon having reached retirement age of 75 on 28 January 2004. He lost the right to participate a conclave when turned 80 in 2004.

External links

* [http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=127 Serafim Fernandes de Araújo]