The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Fortaleza () is an archdiocese located in the city of Fortaleza in Brazil.
History On June 6, 1854, it was established by Pope Pius IX, as the Diocese of Ceará from the Diocese of Olinda. Formerly a part of the Diocese of Pernambuco, the district was erected into a separate diocese, suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bahia. João Guerino Gomes was named as first bishop but did not accept the office. Father Gomes, a philosopher and orator who was well-known in his day, died in 1859. The first bishop, Luis Antonio dos Santos, founded the diocesan seminaries at Fortaleza and Crato, and, for the education of girls, the College of the Immaculate Conception, besides building the church of the Sacred Heart at Fortaleza. On November 10, 1915, it was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Fortaleza.
Special churches Basilica of Saint Francis of the Wounds, Canindé After the creation of the Diocese of Baturité in 2026 by Pope Leo XIV, the sanctuary went under the jurisdiction of the new ecclesiastical territory.
Bishops +Bishops of CearáBishopTermNotesLuís Antônio dos Santos28 September 1860 – 13 March 1881appointed Archbishop of São Salvador da BahiaJoaquim José Vieira9 August 1883 – 14 September 1912Manoel da Silva Gomes16 September 1912 – 10 November 1915 +Metropolitan Archbishops of FortalezaArchbishopsTermNotesManoel da Silva Gomes10 November 1915 – 24 May 1941Antônio de Almeida Lustosa, SDB 19 July 1941 – 16 February 1963José de Medeiros Delgado10 May 1963 – 26 March 1973Aloísio Lorscheider, OFM26 March 1973 – 12 July 1995elevated to Cardinal in 1976; appointed Archbishop of Aparecida, Sao PauloCláudio Hummes, OFM26 May 1996 – 15 April 1998appointed Archbishop of São Paulo (Cardinal in 2001)José Antônio Aparecido Tosi Marques 13 January 1999 – 11 October 2023Gregório Leozírio Ben Lâmed da Paixão Neto, O.S.B. 11 October 2023 - present
+Coadjutor bishopCoadjutor BishopTermNotesManuel Antônio de Oliveira Lopes 1908-1910did not succeed to see; appointed Bishop of Alagôas +Auxiliary bishopsAuxiliary BishopTermNotesManoel da Silva Gomes1911-1912appointed Bishop hereElizeu Simões Mendes 1950-1953appointed Bishop of Mossoró, Rio Grande do NorteExpedito Eduardo de Oliveira1953-1959appointed Bishop of Patos, ParaibaRaimundo de Castro e Silva 1957-1991Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville CSSp 1964-1984Archbishop (personal title)Miguel Fenelon Câmara Filho 1970-1974appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Maceió, AlagoasManuel Edmilson da Cruz 1974-1994appointed Bishop of Limoeiro do Norte, CearaGeraldo Nascimento, OFMCap 1992-1997Adalberto Paulo da Silva1995-2004OFMCapSérgio da Rocha 2001-2007appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Teresina, Piaui; future CardinalPlínio José Luz da Silva 2001-2003appointed Bishop of Picos, PiauiJosé Luiz Ferreira Salles CSsR2006-2012appointed Bishop of Pesqueira, PernambucoRosalvo Cordeiro de Lima2011–2020José Luiz Gomes de Vasconcelos 2012-2015appointed Bishop of Sobral, CearaValdemir Vicente Andrade Santos 2018-2024Júlio César Souza de Jesus2018-
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops Antônio Xisto Albano, appointed Bishop of São Luís do Maranhão in 1901 Quintino Rodrigues de Oliveira e Silva, appointed Bishop of Piaui in 1913 (did not take effect); appointed Bishop of Crato, Ceara in 1915
Suffragan dioceses Diocese of Crateús Diocese of Crato Diocese of Iguatu Diocese of Itapipoca Diocese of Limoeiro do Norte Diocese of Quixadá Diocese of Sobral Diocese of Tianguá Diocese of Baturité
References
Sources
GCatholic.org Catholic Hierarchy Archdiocese website (Portuguese)