Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer, who heads the world’s third largest diocese, is a non-traditional but theologically moderate prelate whom the media touted as a potential papal candidate during the 2013 conclave.

Born on September 21, 1949, in São Francisco, Cerro Largo, Brazil, Scherer comes from a family with German roots and is related to Cardinal Alfredo Scherer of Porto Alegre (1903-1996).

He was ordained a priest on December 7, 1976, and has since built an impressive career within the Church.

Scherer’s educational background includes a doctorate in theology and a master’s degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University. His academic prowess has been evident throughout his career, having served as a professor of philosophy and theology at various institutions.

He served as rector and professor at São José Minor Seminary in Cascavel and of the Seminary Maria Mãe of Igreja in Toledo. He was also rector of the Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe seminary and philosophy professor at the interdiocesan theology centre.

Scherer also has experience of pastoral and curial work, serving as parochial vicar, parish priest and as an official at the Congregation for Bishops in the Vatican (1994-2001).

In terms of his career in the hierarchy, Scherer has held several significant positions. He was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo in February 2002. In May 2003 he was elected general secretary of Brazil’s bishops’ conference, and in December 2006, the Pope appointed him adjunct general secretary of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American Bishops.

In March 2007, he succeeded Cardinal Claudio Hummes as Archbishop of São Paulo, and Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the rank of cardinal later that year.

Scherer has been a member of some influential Vatican dicasteries including Clergy, Culture and Education, and Evangelization. Additionally, he serves on the Council for the Economy.

One of Scherer’s notable achievements has been serving as Grand-Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) since 2003.

Cardinal Scherer has been unafraid to speak out about various issues. In 2007 he criticized liberation theology’s use of Marxism as a tool of analysis, although he supports its focus on social injustice and poverty. Two years later, he echoed Benedict’s concerns over the dangers of secularism by speaking out against the removal of crucifixes from public places in Brazil, and arguing that it would not serve the interests of Brazilian secularism.¹“The secularity of the State is invoked too often and too easily, and in the wrong way,” he said.  “It certainly in no way authorizes the repression of religious ideas or manifestations, unless these are clearly criminal, as in the case of incitement to violence or the promotion of dishonest acts.”

In 2007 Scherer expressed concerns about priests becoming “showmen” and has criticized the transformation of Mass into a show.

In 2021, he defended Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis 2021 apostolic letter that imposed sweeping restrictions on the traditional Mass, saying that “rejecting or discrediting a supposed ‘new Mass’ also involves a theological mistake and, certainly, a doctrinal error.”

He said there is only one “Mass of the Ages” and that it finds its apogee in the reformed Mass. He believes the restrictions were aimed at “safeguarding the unity of the Church,” adding that as the liturgy is the “highest form of prayer in the Church” and part of the Church’s Magisterium, “its prescriptions must be fully respected by all, as a sign of communion of faith in the same Church of Christ.”

He has been consistent in firmly opposing abortion. Scherer has used his social networks to reaffirm the Church’s position on the right to life of the unborn child, citing the example of St. John the Baptist recognizing the “embryo Jesus” while still in the womb. The cardinal stressed in 2018 that a law penalizing induced abortion was “at the service of a very high value, which is the life of the unborn child, its first and most fundamental right.”

Scherer has also consistently spoken about migration. In a 2010 article he wrote that “it is necessary to develop global migration policies adjusting international efforts to local norms in order to safeguard migrants’ and their families dignity.” He has also called for the overcoming of divisions, unjust relations, and indifference toward things that go against human dignity, particularly in relation to migrants.

The cardinal has expressed significant opinions on the Eucharist, considering it to be a “sublime Sacrament,” and has underscored its fundamental role in the life of the Church. He has stressed that the Eucharist is a good belonging to the Church as a whole, not the property of specific individuals or groups. He has also emphasized the unifying power of the Eucharist, and the importance of celebrating it with dignity.

Scherer has also addressed the importance of receiving Holy Communion properly, and has expressed concern for the interior attitude of the faithful when receiving the Eucharist, as well as the observance of correct liturgical practices.

The Brazilian cardinal has been criticized for his cautious approach to political issues. During the 60th anniversary of Brazil’s 1964 military coup, some criticized the fact that Scherer and the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) did not release any statement, despite the regime’s history of human rights abuses.

Scherer has also faced criticism for his handling of an abuse allegation. In 2021, he was accused of downplaying a priest’s alleged abuse of a teenager. The cardinal received the allegations and opened an investigation to determine if they were credible. The victim claimed the priest had got him drunk and raped him.

The archdiocese determined that the relationship, which lasted three years, was consensual and not abusive. The archdiocese also argued that the victim was an adult, although his national ID card proves that he was seventeen when the abuses reportedly began. Canon law stipulates that the age of sexual consent is eighteen, and it’s considered a crime in Church law. The cardinal was accused of breaching article five of Vox Estis, which calls on ecclesiastical authorities to ensure that those who state that they have been harmed, together with their families, are to be treated with dignity and respect.

The alleged abuse case emerged a year after the archdiocese of Sao Paolo had created a commission to investigate allegations of sexual abuse linked to the Church. The cardinal noted at the time that, even before the creation of the commission, the archdiocese had looked into several complaints and even dismissed clerics after investigation and judgment of the cases.

In 2017, Scherer supported a controversial food policy in São Paulo in which he defended a plan to use flour made from food leftovers to add nutrients to food distributed to the poor and homeless.

During the COVID crisis, Cardinal Scherer was an avid promoter of vaccines despite persistent questions over their ethical nature, safety, and effectiveness. He said he was “deeply concerned” about vaccine resistance, and saw it as possibly due to misinformation, supported by “ideological prejudices and political motivations.” One of the most prominent figures resistant to the vaccine was Brazil’s President at the time, Jair Bolsonaro.

Cardinal Scherer is fluent in Italian, German, and Portuguese. Observers say this linguistic versatility, combined with his German-Brazilian heritage, positions him as a bridge between different cultures within the Church.