Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis is a retired Brazilian prelate who has held a number of leadership positions in the Church in Latin America.

Born on February 15, 1937, in Capela Nova, Brazil, Damasceno Assis began his religious education at a young age, entering the Juvenato São José of the Marist Brothers in 1948. He later studied philosophy at the Major Seminary of the archdiocese of Mariana.

In 1961, he was sent to Rome to study theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a licentiate. He also studied in Germany, completing his formation at the Superior Institute of Catechesis in Munich.

Ordained a priest on March 19, 1968, Damasceno Assis served in various roles in the archdiocese of Brasília, including coordinator of catechesis, pastor, and chancellor. He was also a professor at the Major Seminary Nossa Senhora de Fatima and the University of Brasília.

His rise through the Church hierarchy began with his appointment as auxiliary bishop of Brasília in 1986. In 2004, he became the archbishop of Aparecida, a position he held until his retirement in 2016. Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the rank of Cardinal in 2010.

Throughout his career, Cardinal Damasceno Assis has held several significant leadership positions. He served as president of the Episcopal Council of Latin America (CELAM) from 2007 to 2011 and as president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil from 2011 to 2015. He was also one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that selected Pope Francis. He also took part in both the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family.

Latterly, Cardinal Damasceno Assis was involved in a notable controversy concerning the Heralds of the Gospel, an international association of the faithful. In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him as the pontifical commissioner for the Heralds of the Gospel and its male and female branches. This appointment came after an apostolic visitation revealed concerns about the group’s practices, including unconventional exorcism rituals and a personality cult surrounding its founder.

Cardinal Damasceno Assis is known to speak Portuguese, his native language. Given his education in Rome and Germany, it’s likely he also has knowledge of Italian and German, though this is not explicitly stated in the available sources.

Throughout his career, Cardinal Damasceno Assis has been recognized for his leadership in the Latin American Church and his efforts to address issues within religious organizations. His appointment as pontifical commissioner for the Heralds of the Gospel demonstrated the trust placed in him by Pope Francis to handle sensitive matters within the Church.