Alfredo Scherer
Encyclopedia
Alfredo Vicente Scherer (February 5, 1903—March 9, 1996) was a German-Brazilian
Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Porto Alegre
from 1946 to 1996, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1969.
, Rio Grande do Sul
, as the second child of Peter and Anna (née Opermann) Scherer. He studied at the seminary
in Porto Alegre
and the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
, where he was ordained
to the priesthood
on April 3, 1926. He then served as private secretary
to Archbishop João Batista Becker
until 1933, when he began pastoral
work in Porto Alegre.
On June 13, 1946, Scherer was appointed the first Auxiliary Bishop
of Porto Alegre and Titular Bishop
of Hemeria by Pope Pius XII
. However, Archbishop Becker died two days later, on June 15, before Scherer received his episcopal consecration
. Scherer was named as his successor as Archbishop of Porto Alegre
on the following December 30. He was consecrated on February 23, 1947 by Archbishop Carlo Chiarlo
, with Bishops José Baréa and José de Almeida Baptista serving as co-consecrators
. In reference to divorce
, the Archbishop once called for "prayers to God to take away from Brazil the calamity which threatens Christian families". Scherer also gave weekly radio broadcasts against "anarchists
and followers of Communism
" within the Church.
From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council
, and was recognized as one of the leading conservative
prelates during the 1960s and 1970s. However, Scherer did support the succession of the left-wing
João Goulart
as President of Brazil
following the resignation of Jânio Quadros
, in accord with the constitutional rules
.
Pope Paul VI
created him Cardinal Priest
of Nostra Signora de La Salette in the consistory
of April 28, 1969. Scherer was one of the cardinal electors
who participated in the conclaves
of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I
and John Paul II
respectfully. In January 1980, he was stabbed and robbed by unknown assailants, who left him in a ditch outside Porto Alegre when he could not meet their demands for more money. After thirty-four years of service, the Cardinal resigned as Archbishop on August 29, 1981.
Scherer died in Aparecida
, at age 93. He is buried near the altar
of the Cathedral of Our Lady, Mother of God in Porto Alegre. In 2003, a commemorative site was arranged at his place of birth in Bom Princípio.
German-Brazilian
A German Brazilian is a Brazilian person of ethnic German ancestry or origin...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Archbishop of Porto Alegre
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Porto Alegre
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Porto Alegre is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil. It was erected as the Diocese of São Pedro do Rio Grande by Pope Pius IX on May 7, 1848, and elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Pius...
from 1946 to 1996, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1969.
Biography
Alfredo Vicente Scherer was born in Bom PrincípioBom Princípio
Bom Princípio is a municipality in the state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It's known in alla Brazil as Strawberry Land.-See also:*List of municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul...
, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, as the second child of Peter and Anna (née Opermann) Scherer. He studied at the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
and the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on April 3, 1926. He then served as private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
to Archbishop João Batista Becker
João Batista Becker
João Batista Becker was a German-Brazilian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as Archbishop of Porto Alegre from 1912 until his death....
until 1933, when he began pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in Porto Alegre.
On June 13, 1946, Scherer was appointed the first Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Porto Alegre and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Hemeria by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. However, Archbishop Becker died two days later, on June 15, before Scherer received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
. Scherer was named as his successor as Archbishop of Porto Alegre
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Porto Alegre
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Porto Alegre is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil. It was erected as the Diocese of São Pedro do Rio Grande by Pope Pius IX on May 7, 1848, and elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Pius...
on the following December 30. He was consecrated on February 23, 1947 by Archbishop Carlo Chiarlo
Carlo Chiarlo
Carlo Chiarlo was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as nuncio to several countries, mostly Latin American, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958.-Biography:...
, with Bishops José Baréa and José de Almeida Baptista serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. In reference to divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, the Archbishop once called for "prayers to God to take away from Brazil the calamity which threatens Christian families". Scherer also gave weekly radio broadcasts against "anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
and followers of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
" within the Church.
From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, and was recognized as one of the leading conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
prelates during the 1960s and 1970s. However, Scherer did support the succession of the left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
João Goulart
João Goulart
João Belchior Marques Goulart was a Brazilian politician and the 24th President of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on April 1, 1964. He is considered to have been the last left-wing President of the country until Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003.-Name:João Goulart is...
as President of Brazil
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
following the resignation of Jânio Quadros
Jânio Quadros
Jânio da Silva Quadros , , was a Brazilian politician who served as President of Brazil for only 7 months in 1961.-Career:...
, in accord with the constitutional rules
Constitution of Brazil
During its independent political history, Brazil has had seven constitutions. The most recent was ratified on October 5, 1988.-Imperial Constitution :Background...
.
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
created him Cardinal Priest
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of Nostra Signora de La Salette in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of April 28, 1969. Scherer was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclaves, August and October 1978
The following were the cardinal electors in the papal conclaves of August and October 1978. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically .Because there was such a brief period between the two conclaves, the lists of electors...
who participated in the conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
and John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
respectfully. In January 1980, he was stabbed and robbed by unknown assailants, who left him in a ditch outside Porto Alegre when he could not meet their demands for more money. After thirty-four years of service, the Cardinal resigned as Archbishop on August 29, 1981.
Scherer died in Aparecida
Aparecida
Aparecida is a Brazilian city and municipality in the state of São Paulo. It is located in the fertile valley of the River Paraíba do Sul on the southern bank. The population in 2004 was 35,754 and the area of the municipality is 121.232 km²...
, at age 93. He is buried near the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
of the Cathedral of Our Lady, Mother of God in Porto Alegre. In 2003, a commemorative site was arranged at his place of birth in Bom Princípio.
Trivia
- Cardinal Scherer was a distant relative of Cardinal Odilo SchererOdilo SchererOdilo Pedro Scherer is a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of São Paulo, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Early life and ordination:...
, Archbishop of São PauloRoman Catholic Archdiocese of São PauloThe Archdiocese of São Paulo is a major see in the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil. The Diocese of São Paulo was erected by Pope Benedict XIV on 6 December 1745. It became an Archdiocese on 7 June 1908...
. - He was strongly opposed to liberation theologyLiberation theologyLiberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, and denounced providing birth control pills to "uninformed, impoverished and unattended women" as "a criminal act". - Provedor of the Fraternity of the Holy House of Mercy until his death, he was also a member of the Rio Grande do Sul Institute of History and Geography.