Pope Francis has appointed Dom Júlio Endi Akamine as coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Belém do Pará, in Brazil, in response to the request of the current archbishop, Dom Alberto Taveira Corrêa, for support in his pastoral work. This appointment represents an important step for the Church in the Amazon region, reinforcing its commitment to supporting and strengthening local communities.
Career and Training of Dom Júlio Endi Akamine
Dom Júlio was born on November 30, 1962 in Garça, São Paulo. His religious vocation began in 1975, when he entered the Seminary of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Palotines) in Londrina, Paraná. Over the years, he consolidated his theological and philosophical training at prestigious institutions, including the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná and the Studium Theologicum Claretianum of Curitiba. He was ordained a priest in 1988 in Cambé, Paraná.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a master’s degree and a doctorate in Theology. His pastoral and academic career led him to serve as a seminary trainer, parish priest, provincial rector of the Pallottines and professor of theology in Curitiba.
Your Mission in the Church of Brazil
In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of São Paulo, where he served as episcopal vicar of the Lapa region. Later, in 2016, Pope Francis appointed him metropolitan archbishop of Sorocaba, where he has worked to promote Catholic education and strengthen pastoral life in the region. In addition, he has presided over the South 1 region of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB).
A New Path in the Amazon
The appointment of Dom Júlio as coadjutor archbishop of Belém do Pará comes at a key moment for the Church in the Amazon. Their experience and training will provide a renewed focus on evangelization, the accompaniment of communities and the defense of integral ecology in this region that is so important to the world.
Greeting from CEAMA for the appointment of Dom Júlio Endi Akamine as Coadjutor Archbishop of Belém do Pará
The Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) welcomes with joy the appointment of Dom Júlio Endi Akamine as coadjutor archbishop of the beloved particular Church of Belém do Pará, Brazil. Pope Francis, with paternal concern, has wanted to strengthen the evangelizing mission in this portion of the People of God, providing it with a pastor whose life and ministry have been marked by fidelity, dedication and missionary ardor.
Dom Júlio, with his solid theological training and extensive pastoral experience, comes to the Amazonian Church in a time of challenges and hopes, when the witness of a synodal Church, close to the poorest and committed to the care of the Common Home, becomes increasingly urgent.
From CEAMA, we raise our prayers to the Lord so that his ministry in this land of faith and tradition may be fruitful and so that, under the intercession of Our Lady of Nazaré, he may walk alongside the Amazonian people in announcing the Gospel of Life.
Cardenal Pedro Barreto, SJ
President of the CEAMA
Marcelo Lemos
Executive Secretary of CEAMA