The Bishop Emeritus of Taubaté (SP), was in a hospital in Juiz de Fora (MG).
Newsroom (October 12, 2021, 8:55 AM, Gaudium Press) Bishop Antonio Affonso of Miranda, emeritus Bishop of Taubaté (SP) died this Monday morning, October 11. At 101 years of age, the prelate was the oldest Bishop in Brazil.
The Bishop was in a hospital in Juiz de Fora (MG). His burial has been scheduled for next Tuesday in Mercês (MG), Dom Antonio’s hometown. The time of the celebration is still to be confirmed.
In a note, the Diocese of Taubaté emphasized that “Dom Antonio’s time in the Diocese of Taubaté was marked by the balance between responsibility and generosity, tenderness and firmness. We pray for Dom Antonio, thanking God for his life and dedication to the Church, especially to our diocese.
Biography of Dom Antonio Affonso of Miranda
Born on April 14, 1920, in the city of Cipotânea, Minas Gerais, Brazil, he and his family moved to Mercês, another city in Minas Gerais, while he was still a child. He entered the seminary of the Sacramentine Congregation of Our Lady on February 1, 1933.
He was ordained a priest on November 1, 1945, directing the seminaries of Bom Jesus, in Manhumirim and São Rafael, in Dores do Indaiá, where he was also parish priest for 16 years in three different periods.
At the age of 32, he was elected as the first Superior General of the congregation of the Sacramentines of Our Lady. He had to wait for special permission from Rome for him to take office, at such a young age.
He was named Bishop of Lorena (SP) on November 8, 1971. In 1977 he was transferred to the diocese of Campanha as coadjutor bishop. A few years later he was transferred to the Diocese of Taubaté, where he gained fame as a renowned preacher, great administrator, and promoter of pastorals and lay movements.
Pope John Paul II accepted his canonical resignation on May 22, 1996, naming him apostolic administrator until his successor, Dom Carmo João Rhoden, took office on August 17 of that same year. (EPC)
Compiled by Sarah Gangl
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