‘The Amazon has not been forgotten”, says Archbishop Leonardo Steiner after being announced as a cardinal

Marcela Leiros – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The archbishop of Manaus Dom Leonardo Steiner spoke, on the morning of Monday, 30, about being chosen by Pope Francis as the first cardinal of the Brazilian Amazon. The nomination occurred by the head of the Catholic Church himself this Sunday, 29, at the Vatican. Steiner said he was surprised and emphasized the importance of the pope looking at the region.

“It is a joy to have a cardinal in the Amazon, which has not been forgotten by the pope,” the archbishop told the press. “We know how Pope Francis has a special affection for the Amazon and for the churches that are in the Amazon. We know that at the time of the pandemic he had the courtesy to call us. And with this appointment he shows how close he is to our churches and to our region.

Besides Monsignor Leonardo Steiner, the Pope chose 20 other names for cardinals, among them the Brazilian and Archbishop of Brasilia, Monsignor Paulo Cezar. The ceremony with the new cardinals should take place on August 27, and will be the first solemn act since November 2020. The chosen cardinals will compose the College of Cardinals, responsible for electing the pope, if necessary.

“The Pope is looking to the peripheries, to where the church can be very alive, where it can go on building its history, as the church in the Amazon has built its history. I am happy to be able to participate more intensely in the construction of this church, which wants to be ever more missionary, ever more present and ever more alive,” he added.

The archbishop is 71 years old. Before the age of 80, cardinals can still vote and be voted to be the new pope in the event of the resignation or death of the current head of the Catholic Church.

New cardinals

With the new body of cardinals, starting in August, the Vatican will have 90 countries represented within the College of Cardinals, with 69 of them being elective cardinals in an eventual conclave. In 2013, European elector cardinals were the majority and represented about 56% of the total, however, since he took office, Pope Francis has opened space and given voice to less centralized regions, such as Africa, Asia and Oceania.

In addition to the choice of Brazilians, East Timor, Paraguay, Singapore and Mongolia now have representatives in the current College of Cardinals. On the official website Vatican News, you can see the complete list of the new cardinals.

Dom Leonardo Steiner

Leonardo Steiner is a Franciscan (appointed bishop by Saint John Paul 2), he was secretary general of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) for two terms, appointed auxiliary bishop of Brasilia by Benedict 16, and Archbishop of Manaus by Pope Francis. He was born on November 6, 1950, in Forquilhinha, state of Santa Catarina.

He made his religious profession in the Order of Friars Minor on August 2, 1976, and was ordained a priest on January 21, 1978. He studied Philosophy and Theology at the Franciscans of Petrópolis. Steiner also holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Pedagogy from the Salesian Faculty of Lorena and a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome.