Murilo Ramos Krieger

Who is Murilo Ramos Krieger?

Murilo Sebastião Ramos Krieger, S.C.J is the current archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia and therefore primate of Brazil since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 12 January 2011. Archbishop Ramos Krieger had previously served as archbishop of Florianópolis since February 2002.

Ramos Krieger was born in 1943 in Brusque, in the Archdiocese of Florianópolis, Brazil. He entered the seminary of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, where he did his primary and secondary studies. He studied philosophy in the convent of the Congregation in Brusque, and theology in Taubaté. He also earned a degree in spirituality in Rome and attended university courses in Brazil.

On 2 February 1967 he made his perpetual profession in the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on 7 December 1969 was ordained a priest. He was assistant pastor in Taubaté, superior of the Dehonian scholasticate and then rector of the Dehonian Theological Institute in that same city, as well as superior of the South Brazilian Province of the Congregation.

On 16 February 1985, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Lysinia and Auxiliary Bishop of Florianópolis by Pope John Paul II, and received episcopal consecration on 28 April. On 8 May 1991, he became Bishop of Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná and, on 7 May 1997, Archbishop of Maringá, also in the State of Paraná. On 20 February 2002 he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Florianópolis, State of Santa Catarina, where he served until January 2011, when he was appointed Primate of Brazil and Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia. Archbishop Ramos Krieger was installed and formally took possession of the see on 25 March.