Archdiocese of Fortaleza

Historical Details

• Diocese of Fortaleza (Ceará)
  • Latin Name: Fortalexiensis
  • Erected: 6 June 1854
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Olinda
  • Country: Brazil

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Luiz Antônio dos Santos † (28 Sep 1860 Appointed - 13 May 1881 Confirmed, Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia)
• Joaquim José Vieira † (9 Aug 1883 Confirmed - 14 Sep 1912 Retired)
• Manoel da Silva Gomes † (16 Sep 1912 Appointed - 24 May 1941 Resigned)
• Antônio de Almeida Lustosa, S.D.B. † (19 Jul 1941 Appointed - 16 Feb 1963 Retired)
• José de Medeiros Delgado † (10 May 1963 Appointed - 26 Mar 1973 Resigned)
• Aloísio Leo Arlindo Lorscheider, O.F.M. † (26 Mar 1973 Appointed - 12 Jul 1995 Appointed, Archbishop of Aparecida, Sao Paulo)
• Cláudio Aury Affonso Hummes, O.F.M. (29 May 1996 Appointed - 15 Apr 1998 Appointed, Archbishop of São Paulo)
• José Antônio Aparecido Tosi Marques (13 Jan 1999 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Fortaleza
1949	1,050,000	1,200,000	87.5%	87	100	187	5,614		200	385	51	ap1951
1961	1,610,770	1,789,745	90.0%	120	131	251	6,417		160	350	73	ap1967
1970	1,635,476	1,919,343	85.2%	110	126	236	6,929		141	1,038	71	ap1971
1976	1,400,000	1,610,400	86.9%	97	77	174	8,045		106	690	62	ap1977
1980	1,500,660	1,705,330	88.0%	100	117	217	6,915		149	845	61	ap1981*
1990	1,981,000	2,328,000	85.1%	110	110	220	9,004		162	1,349	68	ap1991
1999	2,200,000	3,500,000	62.9%	135	130	265	8,301		226	2,215	76	ap2000
2000	2,200,000	3,500,700	62.8%	144	140	284	7,746		251	2,215	73	ap2001
2001	2,360,574	3,233,664	73.0%	138	140	278	8,491		251	2,215	78	ap2002
2002	2,100,000	3,263,518	64.3%	137	156	293	7,167		300	871	78	ap2003
2003	2,316,774	3,273,975	70.8%	130	146	276	8,394		281	871	80	ap2004
2004	2,406,000	3,400,657	70.8%	145	146	291	8,268		281	871	85	ap2005
2006	2,466,000	3,487,000	70.7%	157	146	303	8,138		281	871	90	ap2007
2013	2,630,000	3,719,000	70.7%	204	191	395	6,658	21	311	373	115	ap2014
2016	2,696,000	3,812,000	70.7%	260	184	444	6,072	22	303	373	126	ap2017
2019	2,764,754	3,975,543	69.5%	239	207	446	6,199	27	341	572	137	ap2020

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Valdemir Vicente Andrade Santos (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Jul 2018)
• Evaldo Carvalho dos Santos, C.M.
• Rosalvo Cordeiro de Lima (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Feb 2011 to 7 Oct 2020)
• Manuel Edmilson da Cruz (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Jul 1974 to 18 May 1994)
• Sérgio da Rocha (Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Jun 2001 to 31 Jan 2007)
• Adalberto Paulo da Silva, O.F.M. Cap. (Auxiliary Bishop: 24 May 1995 to 24 Mar 2004)
• Plínio José Luz da Silva (Priest: 16 Dec 1984; Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Jun 2001 to 26 Nov 2003)
• José Luiz Ferreira Salles, C.SS.R. (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Feb 2006 to 15 Feb 2012)
• José Luiz Gomes de Vasconcelos (Auxiliary Bishop: 21 Mar 2012 to 8 Jul 2015)
• Júlio César Gomes Moreira
• Cláudio Aury Affonso Hummes, O.F.M. (Archbishop: 29 May 1996 to 15 Apr 1998)
• Geraldo Nascimento, O.F.M. Cap. (Auxiliary Bishop: 10 Sep 1982 to 22 Jan 1997)
• Júlio César Souza de Jesus (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Jul 2018)
• José Antônio Aparecido Tosi Marques (Archbishop: 13 Jan 1999)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Antônio Xisto Albano † (Priest: 30 May 1885 to 23 Mar 1901)
• Antônio de Almeida Lustosa, S.D.B. † (Archbishop: 19 Jul 1941 to 16 Feb 1963)
• Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte †
• Hélder Pessoa Câmara †
• Miguel Fenelon Câmara Filho † (Priest: 8 Dec 1948; Auxiliary Bishop: 9 Jan 1970 to 5 Feb 1974)
• Raimundo de Castro e Silva † (Priest: 4 Dec 1932 to 17 Jun 1950; Auxiliary Bishop: 9 Nov 1957 to 2 Aug 1991)
• Manoel da Silva Gomes † (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Apr 1911; Bishop: 16 Sep 1912; Archbishop: 10 Nov 1915 to 24 May 1941)
• Expedito Eduardo de Oliveira † (Priest: 30 Nov 1933; Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Oct 1953 to 25 Feb 1959)
• Luiz Antônio dos Santos † (Bishop: 28 Sep 1860 to 13 May 1881)
• Aloísio Leo Arlindo Lorscheider, O.F.M. † (Archbishop: 26 Mar 1973 to 12 Jul 1995)
• José de Medeiros Delgado † (Archbishop: 10 May 1963 to 26 Mar 1973)
• Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville, C.S.Sp. † (Vicar General: 1967 to 1984)
• Manuel Antônio de Oliveira Lopes † (Coadjutor Bishop: 7 Apr 1908 to 26 Nov 1910)
• Lino Deodato Rodrigues de Carvalho †
• Quintino Rodrigues de Oliveira e Silva † (Priest: 19 Jun 1886 to 10 Mar 1915)
• Elizeu Simões Mendes † (Auxiliary Bishop: 21 Aug 1950 to 19 Sep 1953)
• Jerónimo Thomé da Silva †
• Joaquim José Vieira † (Bishop: 9 Aug 1883 to 14 Sep 1912)