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

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)

5°47′17″S 35°12′14″W / 5.7881°S 35.2038°W / -5.7881; -35.2038