Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Natal

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Natal (Latin: Archidioecesis Metropolitae Natalensis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Natal in Brazil.

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Natal Archidioecesis Metropolitae Natalensis
Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Brazil
Statistics
Area	25,153 km2 (9,712 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 1,923,667 1,627,542 (84.6%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	29 December 1909 (114 years ago)
Cathedral	Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Apresentação
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	João Santos Cardoso
Bishops emeritus	Heitor de Araújo Sales Matias Patrício de Macêdo
Map
Website
www.arquidiocesedenatal.org.br

History

• December 29, 1909: Established as the Diocese of Natal from the Diocese of Paraíba
• February 16, 1952: Promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Natal

Bishops

Ordinaries, in reverse chronological order

• Archbishops of Natal (Roman rite), below
  • Archbishop João Santos Cardoso (since 2023.07.05)
  • Archbishop Jaime Vieira Rocha (2011.12.21 - 2023.07.)
  • Archbishop Matias Patrício de Macêdo (2003.11.26 – 2011.12.21)
  • Archbishop Heitor de Araújo Sales (1993.10.27 – 2003.11.26)
  • Archbishop Alair Vilar Fernandes de Melo (1988.04.06 – 1993.10.27)
  • Archbishop Nivaldo Monte (1967.09.06 – 1988.04.06)
  • Archbishop Marcolino Esmeraldo de Souza Dantas (1952.02.16 – 1967.04.08)
• Bishops of Natal (Roman Rite), below
  • Bishop Marcolino Esmeraldo de Souza Dantas (later Archbishop) (1929.03.01 – 1952.02.16)
  • Bishop José Pereira Alves (1922.10.27 – 1928.01.27)
  • Bishop Antônio dos Santos Cabral (1917.09.01 – 1921.11.21), appointed Bishop of Belo Horizonte; future Archbishop
  • Bishop Joaquim Antônio d’Almeida (1910.10.23 – 1915.06.14)

Auxiliary bishops

• Eugênio de Araújo Sales (1954-1964), appointed Apostolic Administrator of São Salvador da Bahia; future Cardinal
• Antônio Soares Costa, appointed Bishop of Caruaru, Pernambuco in 1993

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• José Tomas Gomes da Silva, appointed Bishop of Aracajú in 1911
• Francisco Canindé Palhano, appointed Bishop of Bonfim, Bahia in 2006
• Edilson Soares Nobre, appointed Bishop of Oeiras, Piaui in 2017

Suffragan dioceses

• Diocese of Caicó
• Diocese of Mossoró

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Archdiocese website (Portuguese)