Arlindo Gomes Furtado was born in November 1949 in Santa Catarina, in the Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Cape Verde. He entered the São José Minor Seminary in 1963 and went to Coimbra, Portugal, in 1971 for major seminary studies. He returned to Cape Verde, was ordained a deacon on 9 May, and was ordained a priest on 18 July 1976. From 1978 to 1986 he was rector of the São José Minor Seminary, while also serving as diocesan chancellor and treasurer (1978-1984) and as chaplain to Cape Verdeans in the Netherlands (1985-1986). In August 1986 he went to Rome and earned a license in Sacred Scripture, then taught English in secondary school at home and later taught biblical studies at a higher institute of theology in Coimbra. Back in Cape Verde from 1995, he worked in parish ministry, served on the National Council for Education, taught at the Police Academy, and was vicar general of Santiago de Cabo Verde until 2004.
Appointed in 2003 as the first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Mindelo, he was ordained a bishop on 22 February 2004. On 22 July 2009 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde. Pope Francis created him a cardinal in the consistory of 14 February 2015, assigning him the titular church of San Timoteo; he is the first cardinal from Cape Verde. He is a member of the Dicastery for the Evangelization and of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. On 16 February 2026 Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation from the pastoral governance of Santiago de Cabo Verde, and he is now bishop emeritus of the diocese.
Consequential Quotes
Poverty and the rise of unemployment often lead to increased violence, and that is of great concern to us.
It was a complete and total surprise.
I believe it was time for a cardinal to be chosen from here.
It will be a challenge, I am sure, but with the help of God and my community I will try to further the teachings of the Lord.
As you know, our liturgy in Cape Verde is in Portuguese—when I speak of liturgy, I mean Mass and the Sacraments—but we want the Bible to be in the hands of our people in our own language. For that, we need people who are knowledgeable in biblical theology and literature, so there is a multidisciplinary team working in that area.
Having the Bible translated into Creole means bringing the Word of God even closer to the hearts of the people. It is a form of evangelization that respects our identity.
Major Works & Initiatives
Rector of the São José Minor Seminary, Praia
Rector of the minor seminary where he himself had studied, from 1978 to 1986, alongside service as diocesan chancellor and treasurer (1978-1984).
Teacher of Biblical Studies in Coimbra
After earning a license in Sacred Scripture in Rome (from August 1986), he taught biblical studies at a higher institute of theology in Coimbra, Portugal; Wikipedia specifies Greek, Hebrew, biblical history and geography, 1991-1995.
First Bishop of Mindelo
Appointed in 2003 as the founding bishop of the newly established Diocese of Mindelo and consecrated on 22 February 2004; he led the diocese until his 2009 appointment to Santiago de Cabo Verde.
Bible Translation into Unified Cape Verdean Creole
Announced with the Bishop of Mindelo at a Praia press conference on 11 June 2025: a multidisciplinary team of biblical scholars, translators and linguists is preparing a unified Creole Bible, beginning with the New Testament, as part of the Church's Jubilee plan to 2033.
Controversies
On the record
No significant public controversies reported.
Sources
- Holy See Press Office — biography
- Wikipedia
- CNS via Salt + Light Media — "Meet the Cardinals: Arlindo Gomes Furtado", January 2015
- ACI Africa — "Plans Underway to Translate the Bible into Unified Cape Verdean Creole", 14 June 2025
- ACI Africa — Cardinal Furtado's homily to newly ordained deacons, 11 March 2026