The Most Famous

RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Brazil

Icon of occuation in country

This page contains a list of the greatest Brazilian Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 18 of which were born in Brazil. This makes Brazil the birth place of the 30th most number of Religious Figures behind Hungary, and Mexico.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Brazilian Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Brazilian Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Brazilian Religious Figures.

Photo of Hélder Câmara

1. Hélder Câmara (1909 - 1999)

With an HPI of 67.57, Hélder Câmara is the most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 33 different languages on wikipedia.

Hélder Pessoa Câmara (7 February 1909 – 27 August 1999) was a Brazilian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Olinda and Recife from 1964 to 1985 during the military dictatorship in Brazil. He was declared a Servant of God in 2015. A self-identified socialist, Câmara was an advocate of liberation theology. He did social and political work for the poor and for human rights and democracy during the military regime. Câmara preached for a church closer to the disfavoured people. He is quoted as having said, "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."

Photo of Leonardo Boff

2. Leonardo Boff (b. 1938)

With an HPI of 67.31, Leonardo Boff is the 2nd most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Leonardo Boff (Portuguese: [leoˈnaʁdu ˈbɔf]; born Genézio Darci Boff, pronounced [ʒeˈnɛzju daʁˈsi ˈbɔf]; 14 December 1938) is a Brazilian Catholic theologian, philosopher writer, and former Catholic priest known for his active support for Latin American liberation theology. He is professor emeritus of ethics, philosophy of religion, and ecology at the Rio de Janeiro State University. In 2001, he received the Right Livelihood Award for "his inspiring insights and practical work to help people realise the links between human spirituality, social justice and environmental stewardship".

Photo of Cláudio Hummes

3. Cláudio Hummes (1934 - 2022)

With an HPI of 66.60, Cláudio Hummes is the 3rd most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Cláudio Hummes (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈklawdʒu ˈʁum(i)s]; born Auri Alfonso Hummes; 8 August 1934 – 4 July 2022) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 2006 to 2010, having served as Archbishop of Fortaleza from 1996 to 1998 and Archbishop of São Paulo from 1998 to 2006. A member of the Order of Friars Minor and an outspoken proponent of social justice, he was made a cardinal in 2001.

Photo of Odilo Scherer

4. Odilo Scherer (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 63.79, Odilo Scherer is the 4th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Odilo Pedro Scherer (Portuguese pronunciation: [oˈdʒilu ˈpedɾu ˈʃɛɾeʁ]; born 21 September 1949) is a Brazilian cardinal of the Catholic Church. Since 2007 he has been the Archbishop of São Paulo, where he was auxiliary bishop from 2001 to 2007. From 1994 to 2001 he worked in the Roman Curia at the Congregation for Bishops. Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal in 2007. Scherer was mentioned in the international media as a possible contender to succeed Benedict in 2013. When Scherer submitted his resignation as required at the age of 75, Pope Francis asked him to serve for two more years. He has been described as "an intellectual with great command of finance and economics" and "on the bookish side". His theology and pastoral approach has been called "considered to be theologically moderate, though in his own country he is seen as fairly conservative". In style he is reserved. He eschews the politics and language of liberation theology, but preaches and practices an evangelism devoted to the suffering of the poor and open to lay participation and charismatic movements.

Photo of João Braz de Aviz

5. João Braz de Aviz (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 63.76, João Braz de Aviz is the 5th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

João Braz de Aviz (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒuˈɐ̃w ˈbɾaz dʒi aˈvis]; born 24 April 1947) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life from 2011 to 2025. He began his career working for twenty years as a parish priest and seminary teacher. He became a bishop in 1994 and was bishop of Ponta Grossa from 1998 to 2002, archbishop of Maringá from 2002 to 2004, and archbishop of Brasília from 2004 to 2011.

Photo of Paulo Evaristo Arns

6. Paulo Evaristo Arns (1921 - 2016)

With an HPI of 62.88, Paulo Evaristo Arns is the 6th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Paulo Evaristo Arns OFM (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈpawlu evaˈɾistu ˈaʁns]; 14 September 1921 – 14 December 2016) was a Brazilian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of São Paulo from 1970 to 1998. He was named a cardinal in 1973 and later became protopriest. He was a member of the Order of Friars Minor. His ministry began with a twenty-year academic career, and as Archbishop of Sao Paulo Archdiocese was a relentless opponent of Brazil's military dictatorship and its use of torture. He was also an advocate for the poor and a vocal defender of liberation theology. In his later years he openly criticized the way Pope John Paul II governed the Catholic Church through the Roman Curia and questioned his teaching on priestly celibacy and other issues.

Photo of Orani João Tempesta

7. Orani João Tempesta (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 61.00, Orani João Tempesta is the 7th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Orani João Tempesta (pronounced [oɾɐˈni ʒuˈɐ̃w tẽˈpɛʃtɐ, - ˈʒwɐ̃w -]; born 23 June 1950) is a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been archbishop of Rio de Janeiro since 2009. He was previously bishop of São José do Rio Preto from 1997 to 2004 and archbishop of Belém do Pará from 2004 to 2009.

Photo of Aloísio Lorscheider

8. Aloísio Lorscheider (1924 - 2007)

With an HPI of 60.80, Aloísio Lorscheider is the 8th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Aloísio Leo Arlindo Lorscheider, O.F.M. (8 October 1924 – 23 December 2007) was a Brazilian Catholic cardinal during the 1970s and 1980s. He was known as an advocate of liberation theology in the 1970s and was seen by some observers as a serious candidate for the papacy in the two conclaves of 1978.

Photo of Geraldo Majella Agnelo

9. Geraldo Majella Agnelo (1933 - 2023)

With an HPI of 59.97, Geraldo Majella Agnelo is the 9th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Geraldo Majella Agnelo (19 October 1933 – 26 August 2023) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who was archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 1999 to 2011. He became a bishop in 1978 and served as bishop of Toledo from 1978 to 1982 and archbishop of Londrina from 1982 to 1991. He served in the Roman Curia as secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 1991 to 1999. Agnelo was raised to the rank of cardinal in 2001.

Photo of José Freire Falcão

10. José Freire Falcão (1925 - 2021)

With an HPI of 59.73, José Freire Falcão is the 10th most famous Brazilian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

José Freire Falcão (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒoˈzɛ ˈfɾejɾi fawˈkɐ̃w]; 23 October 1925 – 26 September 2021) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who was archbishop of Brasília from 1984 to 2004. He was created a cardinal in 1988.

People

Pantheon has 18 people classified as Brazilian religious figures born between 1739 and 1967. Of these 18, 7 (38.89%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Brazilian religious figures include Leonardo Boff, Odilo Scherer, and João Braz de Aviz. The most famous deceased Brazilian religious figures include Hélder Câmara, Cláudio Hummes, and Paulo Evaristo Arns. As of April 2024, 18 new Brazilian religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Hélder Câmara, Leonardo Boff, and Cláudio Hummes.

Living Brazilian Religious Figures

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Deceased Brazilian Religious Figures

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Newly Added Brazilian Religious Figures (2024)

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Overlapping Lives

Which Religious Figures were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 11 most globally memorable Religious Figures since 1700.