Moysés Louro Azevedo Filho

Moysés Louro de Azevedo Filho (born November 4, 1959, in Fortaleza, Ceará) is a Brazilian religious leader, the founder and general moderator of the Shalom Catholic Community, an ecclesial Catholic movement linked to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR). Since 2019, he has been a member of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life,^[1] and since 2023, of the Dicastery for Evangelization,^[2] both under the Holy See.^[3] A celibate, he resides in Aquiraz, Ceará, at the community's headquarters.^[4]

Biography

Moysés was born into a traditional Catholic family, the only son after five sisters. His mother, who gave birth to him at age 44, wished for him to become a priest, though he rejected the idea during his teenage years.^[5] He studied at Colégio Marista Cearense and, at 15, attended a youth event organized by the Archdiocese of Fortaleza, where he had a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ.^[5]

He began a Geology course but dropped out after two years, later graduating in Physiotherapy due to an interest in human suffering, though he never practiced the profession.^[5] In 1980, he was chosen by Archbishop Aloísio Lorscheider to represent the youth of the archdiocese during Pope John Paul II's visit to Brazil. At the X National Eucharistic Congress in Fortaleza, he handed the Pope a letter offering his life to evangelize young people.^[6] Two years later, on July 9, 1982, he founded the Shalom Community, starting with a snack bar in the Aldeota neighborhood, now known as "Shalom da Paz" (Shalom of Peace).^[5]

Ecclesial life

The Shalom Community was recognized by the Holy See as a private association of the faithful in 2007 under Pope Benedict XVI.^[7] Moysés participated in the Synods on the Eucharist (2005) and the Word of God (2008) in Rome, as well as the V Episcopal Conference of Latin America in Aparecida (2007), representing ecclesial movements.^[8]

From 2007 to 2019, he served as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and from 2011 to 2023, to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.^[9]Since 2019, he has been part of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life,^[10] and on April 25, 2023, he was appointed to the Dicastery for Evangelization.^[11][12]

On April 27, 2022, Moysés met with Pope Francis in Saint Peter's Square, inviting him to the Shalom Community's 40th-anniversary convention, held in Rome in September 2022.^[13]

Shalom Community

The Shalom Community emerged with the aim of evangelizing young people through a snack bar, offering items with biblical names to spark conversations about faith.^[5] Today, it is present in over 30 countries, promoting events like the Halleluya Festival and social outreach programs.^[14] Moysés describes the community's charism as a "gift of the Holy Spirit" to renew the Church.^[5]

Vision and legacy

Moysés emphasizes evangelization as a call to share "divine love," rejecting contemporary religious indifference.^[5] The Shalom Community's charismatic style, featuring lively music and practices like "resting in the Spirit," has attracted young people but also drawn criticism from traditional sectors of the Church.^[15] He argues that transforming the human heart is the path to changing the world.^[5]