Odilo Scherer

Odilo Pedro Scherer (born September 21, 1949) is a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of São Paulo, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.
==Biography==
===Early life and ordination===
Scherer, a German-Brazilian, was born in Cerro Largo, Rio Grande do Sul, to Edwino and Francisca (née Steffens) Scherer, and is a distant relative of the late Cardinal Archbishop of Porto Alegre Alfredo Scherer. His mother was descended from German immigrants from Saarland.
After attending the minor and major seminaries in Curitiba, Scherer studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná and the Pontifical Gregorian University (from where he obtained his Doctorate of Sacred Theology in 1991) in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Armando Círio, OSI, on December 7, 1976. 
===Professor and curialist===
He served as director and professor at the diocesan seminary of Cascavel (1977-1978), the diocesan seminary of Toledo (1979-1982, 1993), and the Centro Interdiocesano de Teologia de Cascavel (1991-1993).
Before doing pastoral work in Toledo from 1985 to 1988, Scherer taught philosophy at the Ciências Humanas Arnaldo Busatto (1980-1985), and theology at the Instituto Teológico Paulo VI (1985). He then taught at the Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná until 1994. 
From 1994 to 2001, he was an official of the Congregation for Bishops in the Roman Curia, while serving as a Roman pastor and chaplain during his spare time.Whispers in the Loggia. Benedictine Rule: You Pick Your Successor March 21, 2007
===Bishop and Archbishop===
On November 28, 2001, Scherer was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo and Titular Bishop of Novi. He received his episcopal consecration on February 2, 2002 from Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, OFM, with Archbishops Armando Círio and Anuar Battisti serving as co-consecrators. He was made Secretary General of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference in 2003.
===Cardinal===
Pope Benedict XVI named Scherer as the seventh Archbishop of São Paulo on March 21, 2007. He replaced Cardinal Hummes, who was made Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, and thus brought an end to almost four decades of Franciscan leadership of the archdiocese before Hummes. Paulo Evaristo Arns, had helmed it for 28 years. The Brazilian prelate accompanied Pope Benedict for a great part of his visit to Brazil in May 2007, which was largely held in the former's see of São Paulo, also delivering a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the Pope's arrival.
On 17 October 2007, the Pope announced that he would make Scherer a Cardinal. Scherer was elevated to the College of Cardinals in the consistory at St. Peter's Basilica on 24 November 2007, becoming Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale.
On 12 June 2008, in addition to his main duties he was appointed by Benedict as a member of the Congregation for the Clergy.Holy See Press Office daily bulletin 
He is considered by some to be papabile and is considered by many to be the top candidate to become the successor to Pope Benedict XVI.http://www.popes-and-papacy.com/popes_and_the_papacy/2008/12/next-pope-my-papabili-list-for-2009.html 
==Views==
===General outlook===
Scherer is considered to be theologically moderate.BBC Brazil. Papa nomeia Dom Odilo Scherer para Arquidiocese de SP March 21, 2007 
===Abortion===
Cardinal Scherer asked Brazilians that if the country's Supreme Court legalizes abortion for babies with anencephaly, what will be the next group ‘incompatible with life’ to be eliminated ? Brazilian cardinal says after abortion for anencephaly babies others could be next
===Liberation theology===
He once criticized liberation theology's use of "Marxism as a tool of analysis," yet supported its focus on social injustice and poverty.New York Times. As Pope Heads to Brazil, Rival Theology Persists May 7, 2007
===Secularism in Brazil===
Cardinal Scherer has argued that removing crucifixes in public places would not be in the best interests of Brazilian secularism.http://zenit.org/article-21851?l=french ZENIT article
===Priests and the liturgy===
In reference to the popular Brazilian priest Marcelo Rossi, Scherer stated that, "Priests aren't showmen... The Mass is not to be transformed into a show".New York Times. Brazil Greets Pope But Questions His Perspective May 9, 2007
==References==
==External links==
* Papabili list for 2009 at "Popes-and-Papacy"
*Archdiocese of São Paulo
*Catholic-Hierarchy
*Catholic-pages
Category:1949 births
Category:Living people
Category:Brazilian Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:Brazilians of German descent
Category:Brazilian Roman Catholics
Category:Brazilian cardinals
Category:People from Rio Grande do Sul
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic priests
Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:Roman Catholic Church in Brazil
Category:Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI
de:Odilo Pedro Scherer
fr:Odilo Pedro Scherer
it:Odilo Pedro Scherer
la:Odilo Petrus Scherer
nl:Odilo Pedro Scherer
no:Odillo Pedro Scherer
pl:Odilo Pedro Scherer
pt:Odilo Scherer
ru:Шерер, Одилиу Педру