Avelar Brandão Vilela

His Eminence; Avelar Brandão Vilela
	Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia
	The then-archbishop pictured in 1968. The then-archbishop pictured in 1968.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	São Salvador da Bahia
See	São Salvador da Bahia
Appointed	25 March 1971
Term ended	19 December 1986
Predecessor	Eugênio de Araújo Sales
Successor	Lucas Moreira Neves
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of Santi Bonifacio ed Alessio (1973-86); Primate of Brazil (1980-86)
Previous posts	Bishop of Petrolina (1946-55); Archbishop of Teresina (1955-71); Vice-President of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference (1964-68; 1971-74); Second Vice-President of the Latin American Episcopal Council (1965-66); President of the Latin American Episcopal Council (1966-72)
Orders
Ordination	27 October 1935; by Antônio Maria Alves de Siqueira
Consecration	27 October 1946; by José Tomas Gomes da Silva
Created cardinal	5 March 1973; by Pope Paul VI
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	Avelar Brandão Vilela; 13 June 1912; Viçosa, Alagoas, Brazil
Died	19 December 1986 (aged 74); São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
Buried	São Salvador da Bahia Cathedral
Motto	De plentitudine Christi

Avelar Brandão Vilela (June 13, 1912 – December 19, 1986) was a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 1971 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973.

Biography

Avelar Brandão Vilela was born in Viçosa, and studied at the seminaries in Maceió and in Olinda. He was ordained to the priesthood on October 27, 1935. He then served as a professor and spiritual advisor of the seminary of Aracajú, secretary of the Diocese of Aracajú, and diocesan chaplain of the Catholic Action.

On June 13, 1946, his thirty-fourth birthday, Vilela was appointed Bishop of Petrolina by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following October 27 from Bishop José Gomes da Silva, with Bishop Adalberto Accioli Sobral and Archbishop Mário de Miranda Villas-Boas serving as co-consecrators. Vilela was later promoted to Archbishop of Teresina on November 5, 1955, and attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. Serving as President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference from 1966 to 1972, he was named Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia on March 25, 1971.

Pope Paul VI created him Cardinal Priest of Santi Bonifacio e Alessio in the consistory of March 5, 1973. Vilela was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclaves of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively. He earned the nickname of the "Great Conciliator" for his ability to reach both progressives and conservatives in the Brazilian Church,^[1] and was given the title of Primate of Brazil when his archdiocese was raised to that rank on October 25, 1980.