Monsignor José Paulino Francisco Neto is appointed new bishop of the diocese of Porto Nacional

The Catholic Church appointed Father José Paulino Francisco Neto as the new bishop of the diocese of Porto Nacional. According to the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), he is part of the clergy of Araçuaí (MG) and will be the seventh bishop in Porto Nacional. The diocese was administered by the Archbishop of Palmas after the resignation of Dom José Moreira da Silva, in June 2026.

The announcement was made this Tuesday (8). The choice of the bishop is made confidentially by the Holy See, through the Apostolic Nunciature in Brazil, which is a diplomatic representation of the Vatican in the country. After the selection process, CNBB published a greeting message to the priest.

"We add our hopes for a fruitful episcopal ministry to the joy of the people of God who will certainly welcome you with open arms in Tocantins. Remembering Pope Leo

The Diocese of Porto Nacional was created in 1915 and is the oldest in the state. At the time, the territory that is today Tocantins was part of the north of Goiás.

Monsignor José Paulino Francisco Neto was born in Comercinho (MG), on August 30, 1972. He was ordained a priest on August 4, 2000, in the Diocese of Araçuaí (MG), and, since 2020, he has been a missionary in the Archdiocese of Vitória (ES).

The new bishop of Porto Nacional studied philosophy at the São José Diocesan Seminary, in Araçuaí, and theology at the Archdiocesan Seminary of Diamantina. Monsignor José Paulino has a degree in theology from the Centro de Ensino Superior de Juiz de Fora and a degree in literature from Fevale de Diamantina.

The priest has a postgraduate degree in teaching and management of higher education and in canon law from PUC-Minas, a master's degree in canon law from the Gregorian University-Institute of Canon Law of Rio de Janeiro and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Buenos Aires, in Argentina.

Dom José Moreira da Silva's resignation from the post of bishop of the Diocese of Porto Nacional (TO) was accepted by Pope Leo XIV on June 1, 2026. He had held the position since 2023.

Dom José Moreira was announced as the sixth diocesan bishop of Porto Nacional in December 2022 and took office in February 2023. Before that, he served as bishop in Januária (MG).