Cardinal Arlindo Gomes Furtado is the Church’s first cardinal from Cape Verde who has focused on social justice issues and called for a welcoming Church that is “more dynamic in its evangelization.”

Born on November 15, 1949, in Figueira das Naus, Santa Catarina, Cape Verde, Furtado began his journey in the Church at a young age. He completed his primary education in Achada Lem and his secondary education at the Seminary of São José in Praia by 1962. He then pursued theological studies in Coimbra, Portugal, from 1971 to 1976. After returning to Cape Verde, he was ordained as a deacon on May 9, 1976, and shortly after, on July 18, 1976, he was ordained as a priest.

Following his ordination, Furtado served as a parish vicar and later as the rector of the Seminary of São José from 1978 to 1986. His then went to Rome, where he earned a licentiate in biblical science from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. Furtado’s academic prowess was further demonstrated when he taught Greek, Hebrew, History, and Biblical Geography at the Theological Studies Institute in Coimbra from 1991 to 1995.

In 1995 he returned to Cape Verde and began working in parish ministry and serving as member of the National Council for Education and taught in the Police Academy. Until 2004 he was also vicar general of the diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde.

Furtado’s leadership in the Church was recognized when Pope John Paul II appointed him as the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Mindelo on December 9, 2003. His abilities as a leader were further acknowledged when Pope Benedict XVI named him Bishop of the Santiago Diocese on July 22, 2009.

Pope Francis elevated Furtado to the sacred college on January 4, 2015, making him the first cardinal from Cape Verde.

Following his elevation to the cardinalate, Furtado was quickly appointed to several important positions within the Vatican. He became a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council Cor Unum in 2015. The following year he was made a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Commenting on the 2015 Synod on the Family, Cardinal Furtado emphasized the importance of strong family ties and the family as the foundation for faith and society. He criticized individualism and urged the strengthening of family bonds, saying the family is vital for building the Church of the future.

The Cardinal has expressed concern about poverty, unemployment, and violence in Cape Verde. “Poverty and the rise of unemployment often lead to increased violence, and that is of great concern to us,” he has said. He also has expressed his desire for a Church that is “more dynamic in its evangelization” and hopes for a Church that can address sensitive issues with a “Mother’s heart.”

As a cardinal from Cape Verde, Furtado, like many of Pope Francis choices of cardinals, brings a perspective from the global South to the College of Cardinals. He has said that Pope Francis, coming from the Southern hemisphere, understands the difficulties and culture of regions like Cape Verde.