Bishop of Oeiras
Msgr. Edilson Soares Nobre was born on 9 May 1965 in Touros, metropolitan archdiocese of Natal, State of Rio Grande do Norte. He studied philosophy at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte and philosophy and theology at the São Pedro Major Seminary in Natal. He was ordained a priest on 6 April 1991. After ordination, he first held the roles of parish vicar of São Paulo Apóstolo in São Paulo do Potengi (1991-1992), and parish priest of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Lajes (1992-1998) and in Macau (1998-2005). He was awarded a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences from the Salesian Pontifical University of Rome (2005-2007), and went on to serve as parish administrator of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Nova Cruz (2008-2012), coordinator of pastoral care of priests and of communication, episcopal vicar for the clergy, and vicar general. He was appointed bishop of Oeiras on 11 January 2017, receiving episcopal ordination the following 20 March. Within the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (NCBB), he is a member of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communication and, within the Region Nord-est 4, he is representative for communication and secretary for the Regional Episcopal Commission.