Avelar Brandão Vilela

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Avelar Cardinal Brandão Vilela
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=São Salvador da Bahia |

Avelar Cardinal Brandão Vilela (June 13, 1912—December 19, 1986) was a Brazilian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 1971 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973.

Biography

Avelar Brandão Vilela was born in Viçosa, and studied at the seminaries in Maceió and in Olinda. He was ordained to the priesthood on October 27, 1935. He then served as a professor and spiritual advisor of the seminary of Aracajú, secretary of the Diocese of Aracajú, and diocesan chaplain of the Catholic Action.

On June 13, 1946, his thirty-fourth birthday, Vilela was appointed Bishop of Petrolina by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 27 from Bishop José Gomes da Silva, with Bishop Adalberto Accioli Sobral and Archbishop Mário de Miranda Villas-Boas serving as co-consecrators. Vilela was later promoted to Archbishop of Teresina on November 5, 1955, and attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. Serving as President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference from 1966 to 1972, he was named Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia on March 25, 1971.

Pope Paul VI created him Cardinal Priest of "Ss. Bonifacio ed Alessio" in the consistory of March 5, 1973. Vilela was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively. He earned the nickname of the "Great Conciliator" for his ability to reach both progressives and conservatives in the Brazilian Church [New York Times. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE6D91539F932A15751C1A960948260 Cardinal Brandao Vilela Dies; Head of the Brazilian Church] December 21, 1986] , and was given the title of Primate of Brazil when his archdiocese was raised to that rank on October 25, 1980.

The Cardinal died from stomach cancer [Ibid.] in São Salvador, at age 74. He is buried at the metropolitan cathedral of São Salvador da Bahia.

References

Trivia

*The Cardinal was the brother of Senator Teotonio Vilela (d. 1983)

External links

* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-v.htm#Vilela Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbrav.html Catholic-Hierarchy]