Leo XIV Promotes Bishop Who Is Involved in Creating the "Amazonian Rite"
Bishop Araújo was born on November 21, 1963, in Paço do Lumiar, Brazil. He earned a licentiate on "ecumenism" in Venice, Italy.
He was ordained a priest in 1991 and worked as seminary rector, parish priest, and professor.
Benedict XVI. appointed him Bishop of Guajará-Mirim in 2011 (only a dozen priests).
Fan of Francis
In November 2014, Bishop Araújo called Pope Francis “very charismatic”, including with “those who profess a different faith.”
“In this sense, the Pope makes us very sensitive to this openness, this encounter, to become aware of the cries of humanity.”
Member of Amazon Synod
In July 2018, Bishop Araújo spoke of “a special moment, when we are all involved in responding to Pope Francis' proposal regarding the Synod of the Amazon.”
Francis chose Bishop Araújo as participant of the Amazonian Synod in October 2019.
In August 2019, ahead of the Synod, Bishop Araújo thanked Francis on DioceseGuajaraMirim.org.br for prioritizing the Amazon.
In September 2019, he framed the upcoming Synod as a “time of grace – Kairos” and “the times in which the Holy Spirit opens new paths that we discern through mutual dialogue”.
Building an Amazonian Liturgy
In August 2024, Bishop Araújo took part in a session about the Amazonian rite as the moderator. According to Repam.org.br, the meeting longed for a Church with an Amazonian face.
After the meeting Bishop Araújo and six other prelates, including the anti-Catholic Cardinal Steiner, signed a document that said: “The Spirit opens us to the need for liturgical inculturation for the peoples of the Amazon. A way of celebrating faith, welcoming the richness of the different cultures present in our territory, commits us to the construction of the Amazonian Rite as a form of recognition of this diversity.”
In August 2025, Bishop Araújo attended the CEAMA/REPAM conference in Bogotá, where the focus was once again on strengthening a “Church with an Amazonian face.”
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