Archbishop Paulo Jackson Nóbrega de Sousa

Archbishop-elect Paulo Jackson Nóbrega de Sousa was born on 17 April 1969 in São José de Espinharas, diocese of Patos, in the State of Paraíba. He studied philosophy at the Instituto de Teologia do Recife (ITER) in Recife-PE, and theology at the archdiocesan seminary of Paraíba in João Pessoa-PB. He was then awarded a licentiate in biblical sciences from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and a doctorate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He received priestly ordination on 17 December 1993, for the diocese of Patos. He has held the following offices: parish administrator São Sebastião in Catingueira-PB, São Pedro in Patos-PB, Nossa Senhora das Dores in Mãe d’Água-PB and Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Patos-PB; parish vicar of Nossa Senhora da Guia; parish priest of Santo Antônio in Patos-PB and Nossa Senhora da Conceição in São Mamede-PB; rector of the diocesan seminary; diocesan pastoral coordinator; professor in the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC-Minas) and the Faculdade Jesuíta de Filosofia e Teologia (FAJE); parish vicar of São Geraldo and parish administrator of Senhor Bom Jesus do Horto; and national secretary of the Organização dos Seminários e Institutos Filosófico-Teológicos do Brasil (OSIB). On 20 May 2015 he was appointed bishop of Garanhuns, receiving episcopal ordination the following 18 July. Within the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, he is a member of the Episcopal Pastoral Commission for Biblical-Catechetic Animation, president of the Nordest 2 Region and second vice-president of the same Bishops’ Conference.