Bishop of Sete Lagoas
Francisco Cota de Oliveira was born on August 5, 1969, in Onça do Pitangui, in the Diocese of Divinópolis (State of Minas Gerais). He pursued his studies in philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University in Belo Horizonte (1992–1994) and in theology at the Dom João Rezende Costa Institute of the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte (1995–1998). He was ordained a priest on August 1, 1999, and incardinated into the Diocese of Divinópolis, where he held the following roles: parish priest of Nossa Senhora do Carmo in Carmo do Cajuru (MG), Sant’Ana in Itaúna (MG), and Nossa Senhora do Pilar in Pitangui (MG); diocesan coordinator for youth ministry; professor at the propaedeutic seminary, the philosophy seminary, and the theology course for the laity; vicar forane; Promoter of Justice at the diocesan ecclesiastical tribunal; and member of the diocesan council for economic affairs and assistant diocesan bursar. On June 7, 2017, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Fiorentino and Auxiliary Bishop of Curitiba, receiving episcopal ordination on August 26 of that year. Within the Brazilian Episcopal Conference, he is a member of the Episcopal Pastoral Commission for Socio-Transformative Action.