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Antônio de Castro Mayer | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Campos | |
 Dom Antônio de Castro Mayer, in 1980. | |
| Diocese | Campos |
| Term ended | 29 August 1981 |
| Predecessor | Octaviano Pereira de Albuquerque |
| Successor | Carlos Alberto Etchandy Gimeno Navarro |
| Previous posts | Coadjutor Bishop ofCampos andTitular Bishop of Priene |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 30 October 1927 by Basilio Pompili |
| Consecration | 23 May 1948 by Carlo Chiarlo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 June 1904 (1904-06-20) |
| Died | 25 April 1991 (1991-04-26) (aged 86) Campos,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Antônio de Castro Mayer | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Ordination history of Antônio de Castro Mayer | |||||||||||||||
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Antônio de Castro Mayer (20 June 1904 – 25 April 1991) was aBrazilian Catholic prelate who served asBishop of Campos from 1949 to 1981. Atraditionalist Catholic and ally of ArchbishopMarcel Lefebvre, he incurred automaticexcommunication for participating in the 1988illicit consecration of four bishops of theSociety of St. Pius X.
Antônio de Castro Mayer was born inCampinas,São Paulo, to João Mayer, aBavarianstonemason,[1] and his wife, Francisca de Castro, aBrazilianpeasant. One of twelve children, Antônio helped his mother support their family after João died in 1910. At age 12, he enteredSão Paulo'sminor seminary, then run by thePremonstratensian Fathers. He entered themajor seminary in 1922 and then studied at thePontifical Gregorian University in Rome, obtaining hisdoctorate in theology in 1928. He wasordained to thepriesthood by CardinalBasilio Pompili on 30 October 1927. He taught philosophy, history of philosophy, anddogmatic theology at the seminary in São Paulo for the next 13 years.
He became Assistant General of the São Paulo'sCatholic Action in 1940 and acanon of the cathedralchapter with the title of First Treasurer in 1941. He became vicar general of the archdiocese in 1942. He was made a parish priest and theprefect of studies at thePontifical Catholic University of São Paulo in 1945, while retaining the chairs of Religion and Catholic Social Doctrine at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo.[2]
On 6 March 1948, de Castro was appointedCoadjutor Bishop ofCampos andtitular bishop of Priene byPope Pius XII.[3] He received hisepiscopal consecration on 23 May from ArchbishopCarlo Chiarlo, Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil, with Bishop Ernesto de Paula and ArchbishopGeraldo de Proença Sigaud,S.V.D., asco-consecrators. He became bishop of Campos upon the death of Bishop Octaviano de Albuquerque on 3 January 1949.[4] He was very active in opposingliberation theology and communist infiltration of the Church and of his diocese.
In 1956, de Castro opened theMinor Seminary of the Diocese in thevillage, now thecity, ofSão Sebastião de Varre-Sai. In 1967, Dom Antônio obtained permission to operate the Major Seminary, withPhilosophy andTheology courses (later transferred to Campos).[5]
In 1968, the Catholic conservative groupTradition, Family and Property organized a campaign to collect signatures denouncing what were perceived as leftists in the Church. De Castro Mayer lent encouragement to the campaign. TheEpiscopal Conference of Brazil later declared that TFP was neither recognized by the hierarchy nor considered an official Catholic organization.[6]
De Castro, a staunchtraditionalist, refused to implement the liturgical reforms of theSecond Vatican Council in his diocese. Until his resignation on 29 August 1981, theTridentine Mass continued to be celebrated throughout the Campos diocese, along with all the other traditional Catholic practices and devotions in Latin.
Having submitted his resignation as required upon turning 75, he was replaced as bishop with the appointment ofCarlos Alberto Etchandy Gimeno Navarro [pt] to succeed him on 29 August 1981.[7] He continued his campaign against the Council's liturgical reforms in retirement and maintained a traditionalist "diocese" within the Campos diocese, with around 40,000 faithful, which he organized in parallel chapels. The total Catholic population of the diocese was 890,000.[a]
With ArchbishopMarcel Lefebvre, on 30 June 1988 de Castroco-consecrated four bishops without papal authorization and incurred automaticexcommunication.[8] He died ofrespiratory failure in Campos on 25 April 1991.[9]
