João Braz de Aviz

His Eminence João Braz de Aviz
Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Appointed	4 January 2011
Predecessor	Franc Rode CM
Other posts	Cardinal-Deacon of Sant’Elena fuori Porta Prenestina
Orders
Ordination	26 November 1972 by Romeu Alberti
Consecration	31 May 1994 by Domingos Gabriel Wisniewski
Created Cardinal	18 February 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI
Rank	Cardinal-Deacon
Personal details
Birth name	João Braz de Aviz
Born	(1947-04-24) 24 April 1947 Mafra, Brazil
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Vitória, Espirito Santo (1994–1998) Titular Bishop of Flenucleta (1994–1998) Bishop of Ponta Grossa, Parana (1998–2002) Archbishop of Maringá, Parana (2002–2004) Archbishop of Brasília, Distrito Federal (2004–2011)
Motto	Omnes Unum Sint (All May Be One)

Styles of João Braz de Aviz
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal

João Braz de Aviz (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒuˈɐ̃w ˈbɾas dʒi aˈvis], Latin: Ioannes Blasius de Aviz; born 24 April 1947) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 4 January 2011. At the time of the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013, his name was mentioned as a possible candidate for election to the papacy.^[1]

Early life and education

Braz de Aviz was born in Mafra, Diocese of Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil in 1947. He has four brothers and three sisters – the youngest sister has Down's syndrome. After pursuing his philosophical studies at the Major Seminary Rainha dos Apostolos in Curitiba and the Faculty of Palmas, he completed his theological studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a licenciate, and at the Pontifical Lateran University, where he graduated in 1992 with a doctorate in dogmatic theology.

Priesthood

Braz de Aviz was ordained a priest 26 November 1972. He began his ministry as a parish priest in the diocese of Apucarana, as Rector of the Major Seminary Apucarana and Londrina, and as professor of dogmatic theology at the Theological Institute Paul VI in Londrina. He was also member of the Council of Priests and the College of Consultors and General Coordinator of the Diocesan Pastoral Apucarana. As a young priest Braz de Aviz was once on his way to a village to say Mass when he stumbled upon an armored car robbery. He was caught in the crossfire and shot, with bullets perforating his lungs and intestines and one eye. He survived and surgeons were able to save his eye, he still carries fragments of those bullets in his body.^[2]

Episcopate

On 6 April 1994, he was appointed to the titular bishop of Flenucleta as auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Vitória and received episcopal consecration on 31 May of that year. He was appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponta Grossa on 12 August 1998 by Pope John Paul II. He was promoted to archbishop of Maringá on 17 July 2002 where he served until he was appointed archbishop of Brasília on 28 January 2004. In May 2010 he organised the XVI National Eucharistic Congress, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the city's founding.

On 4 January 2011, Braz de Aviz, not a member of a religious order, was appointed prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.^{[3][lower-alpha 1]} He is the fourth Brazilian to head a Vatican department.^{[lower-alpha 2]}

In February 2011, Braz de Aviz said he almost abandoned the seminary and the Catholic Church because of the ideological excesses that emerged in the early years of liberation theology. He said in an interview that "Personally, I lived with a lot of anguish during the years of the birth of liberation theology". He said he appreciated that liberation theology promoted the preferential option for the poor, which represents "the church's sincere and responsible concern for the vast phenomenon of social exclusion." He said consecrated men and women need to explore more deeply the mystery of God to strengthen their relationships with others.^[4]

In July 2011, he referred to a breakdown in trust between the Vatican and many religious orders because of "some positions taken previously", referring to his predecessor, Cardinal Franc Rode, who decried a "crisis" in religious life following the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) which he believed to have fostered excessively liberalizing currents in some communities of religious. Braz said that he recognizes there are problems, but his main aim is to "rebuild trust" by approaching issues in a new way, "without preemptive condemnations" and "by listening to people's concerns."^[5]

On 6 January 2012 the Vatican announced that Braz de Aviz would be created a cardinal on 18 February. He was created Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Elena fuori Porta Prenestina. On 21 April 2012 he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Catholic Education.^[6] In the spring of 2013, at the time of the conclave thet elected Pope Francis, the name of Braz de Aviz was mentioned as a possible candidate for election to the papacy.^[7]

On 16 December 2013, Pope Francis named him a member of the Congregation for Bishops.^[8]

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