Archbishop of Pelotas
Jacinto Bergmann is Archbishop of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He was born on 29 October 1951 in the municipality of Alto Feliz, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. After completing elementary studies at São José Seminary in Gravataí, he attended philosophy courses at the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Faculty in Viamão (1971-1974) and theology courses at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (1973-1976). After ordination, he obtained a licentiate in Biblical Sciences at the Biblical Institute in Rome (1981-1986) and undertook specialized biblical studies in Germany in 1993-1994. He received priestly ordination on 20 October 1976. He then held the following offices: parochial vicar of São Pedro Parish in Porto Alegre (1977); coordinator of youth ministry of the episcopal conference (1980); professor at the Institute of Theology of the Pontifical University of Rio Grande do Sul (1986); director of the Theological Center (1988-1993); director of the Pastoral Institute of the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre (1995-1996); and undersecretary for pastoral ministry at the National Episcopal Conference (2000-2002). On 8 May 2002 he was appointed titular bishop of Ausuccura and auxiliary bishop of Pelotas, and on the following 14 July he received episcopal ordination. On 15 June 2004 he was transferred to the Diocese of Tubarão, in the State of Santa Catarina. He served as bishop responsible for social communications for CNBB Regional Sul 3 (2002-2004) and as bishop coordinator of the Biblical-Catechetical and Missionary Episcopal Commission of the State of Santa Catarina (2004-2009). On 1 July 2009 he was appointed Bishop of Pelotas.