This Wednesday, February 26, the inauguration of the new bishop, Dom Antônio de Assis Ribeiro, takes place in the Cathedral of Macapá. The celebration will be attended by bishops from the North Region 2 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and will be presided over by the Archbishop of Belém, Dom Alberto Taveira.
Dom Antônio de Assis Ribeiro was appointed by Pope Francis on December 18, after accepting the resignation of Dom Pedro José Conti, who has served as bishop of Macapá (AP) for years of pastoral dedication.
A life at the service of the Church and the Amazon
Dom Antônio de Assis Ribeiro was born on July 25, 1966 in Capitão Poço, state of Pará, into a deeply Catholic family. From a young age, he showed a vocation for religious life and joined the Salesian Congregation, being ordained a priest on June 17, 1995 in Ourém, Pará. His priestly and episcopal life has been marked by a total dedication to the causes of youth, education, and the development of Amazonian and urban communities.
After his ordination, he began his pastoral mission in Manaus, where he assumed responsibility for the João Paulo II Salesian Vocational Center, being a guide and trainer for aspirants and pre-novices. This period marked the beginning of a journey that led him to perform in various roles, both in rural and urban areas, and in the educational and social fields.
Educational, pastoral and social career
Between 2000 and 2005, Dom Antônio was director of the Salesian School of Work in Belém and professor of Moral Theology at the Presbyteral Training Center of the archdiocese of Belém. In 2003, he founded the Salesian Ladies Association Center in Ananindeua, an NGO focused on promoting female volunteering with a Salesian spirit, of which he was national advisor.
His commitment to human rights also led him to be a member of the State Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CEDCA/PA) and to serve as Municipal Councilor for the Rights of Children and Adolescents in Belém in 2005. In addition, he worked in the indigenous region of the Amazon as director of the Salesian Mission of Yauaretê and parish priest of São Miguel Arcanjo in São Gabriel da Cachoeira.
Dom Antônio also left his mark as director of the Don Bosco School in Manaus, director of the Salesian Youth Center in Manicoré and parish priest in various parishes in the state of Amazonas. His educational work includes being a professor of professional ethics in the postgraduate program of the Don Bosco Salesian Faculty in Manaus and a member of the Editorial Board of the Pastoral Magazine of the National Association of Catholic Education of Brazil (ANEC).
Episcopate and regional leadership
On June 28, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Belém do Pará, and he was ordained on September 2 of that same year. Since then, Dom Antônio has been a key figure in the Youth Ministry of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and secretary of the North 2 region of the CNBB. He has also played an active role in ecclesial communication as vice president of the Nazaré Communication Foundation and host of radio and television programs.
A new chapter for the Diocese of Macapá
The appointment of Dom Antônio as bishop of Macapá marks a new chapter for this diocese, which covers a region of enormous cultural diversity and pastoral challenges. With his experience working with Amazonian communities, his commitment to young people and his track record in defending human rights, Dom Antônio is expected to continue strengthening the mission of the Church in this region.
Pope Francis, in making this appointment, trusts that Dom Antônio will carry out pastoral work based on closeness, service and the promotion of the values of the Gospel in a context of profound cultural and environmental wealth such as the state of Amapá.
Greetings from CEAMA
The Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) extends its warmest greetings and sincere congratulations to Dom Antônio de Assis Ribeiro for his inauguration as bishop of the Diocese of Macapá.
In this new pastoral mission, we trust that your dedication, experience and deep love for the Amazon will continue to be beacons of hope and commitment to the Amazon communities, especially the young, the most vulnerable and the guardians of the Common Home.
May the Holy Spirit guide you in your work, and may the testimony of Christ the Good Shepherd inspire your path in caring for this precious territory and its people.
Cardenal Pedro Barreto, SJ
President of the CEAMA
Marcelo Lemos
Executive Secretary of CEAMA