National Conference of the Catholic Bishops in Brazil

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Most Rev. Moacyr J. Vitti, CSS, Archbishop of Curitiba, dies in Brazil

There passed away today, victim of a heart attack, the Archbishop of Curitiba, PR (state of Paraná), Most Rev. Moacyr José Vitti, who belonged to the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata, and was Archbishop of Curitiba since 2004.

He was born in Piracicaba, SP (state of São Paulo), on November 30, 1940. He studied Philosophy and Theology at the St. Gaspar Bertoni Institute, in Campinas, SP.  He was ordained a Stigmatine Priest in December 1967.  He was specialized in Catechism and Doctor in Dogmatic Theology by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, in Rome.[1]

Abp. Vitti was elected bishop in November 1987, and received the Episcopal ordination in January 1988, in Americana, SP.  From 1988 to 2002, as Auxiliary Bishop of Curitiba, he was in charge of the border parishes of the city, the pastorals, social assistance, religious teaching and the Academic Pastoral of the South Region of the National Conference of the Catholic Bishops in Brazil. He was Bishop of Piracicaba, SP from 2002 to 2004, when he was transferred back to Curitiba, PR as Archbishop. In 2007 he was elected President of the South Region of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops in Brazil, position that he held until 2011.  His Episcopal motto was: “One Single Heart”.

May he rest in peace.

[1] For his Doctorate, he had as his tutor Father Joseph Henchey, CSS

§§§