Leonardo Ulrich Steiner was born on 6 November 1950 in Forquilhinha, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. A Franciscan, he made his religious profession in the Order of Friars Minor on 2 August 1976 and was ordained a priest on 21 January 1978. He studied philosophy and theology with the Franciscans in Petrópolis, took a bachelor's degree in philosophy and pedagogy at the Salesian Faculty of Lorraine, and earned a licentiate and doctorate in philosophy at the Pontifical University of Saint Anthony (the Antonianum) in Rome. He served as a seminary formator until 1986 and master of novices from 1986 to 1995, then as professor of philosophy and secretary of the Antonianum from 1995 to 2003, before returning to Brazil as a parish vicar and philosophy lecturer in Curitiba.
On 2 February 2005 he was appointed Bishop Prelate of São Félix and was consecrated a bishop on 16 April 2005. On 21 September 2011 he was appointed titular bishop of Tisiduo and auxiliary bishop of Brasília. From May 2011 to May 2019 he was secretary general of the National Episcopal Conference of Brazil. On 27 November 2019 Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus.
Pope Francis created him a cardinal in the consistory of 27 August 2022, assigning him the titular church of San Leonardo da Porto Maurizio ad Acilia; he is the first cardinal from the Amazon region and is a member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. At the Synod on Synodality assemblies in 2023 and 2024 he presented the Amazon church — its Indigenous communities, lay-led villages and women ministers — as a working model of synodality. He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
Consequential Quotes
The communities feel that the distance between Rome and the Amazon is now smaller. Perhaps this is the reason for the Amazonian people’s joy with Pope Francis’ move.
The Amazon really is a symbol, a symbol of the need to change our mentality, to be less consumeristic, to chase after money less.
Why is the forest cut down? Because of money. This consumerist, mercantilist way of thinking has to change.
Synodality helps us a lot because it is the communities that tell us how to be a church, rather than a bishop telling the people how to be church.
Women are the ones who have led the communities forward, and today they are also leading our communities.
The Church only exists because there is the community, and that small community forms the parish, and the parishes form a diocese and then there is the universal Church. Maybe we need to go a little deeper into this question of ministeriality and community.
Major Works & Initiatives
Professor and Secretary of the Antonianum, Rome
Professor of philosophy and secretary of the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome from 1995 to 2003, after earlier service as a seminary formator and master of novices (1986-1995).
Bishop Prelate of São Félix
Appointed bishop prelate of the Amazonian territorial prelature of São Félix on 2 February 2005 and consecrated on 16 April 2005; served until his 2011 appointment as auxiliary bishop of Brasília.
Secretary General of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB)
Secretary general of the Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil from May 2011 to May 2019, spanning the preparation of the 2019 Synod for the Amazon.
President of the CNBB Special Episcopal Commission for the Amazon
Named president of the CNBB's Special Episcopal Commission for the Amazon in April 2022 and vice president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon Region (CEAMA), per Wikipedia and Crux reporting.
Controversies
On the record
No significant public controversies reported.
Sources
- Holy See Press Office — biography
- Wikipedia
- Associated Press via Religion News Service — "Pope appoints first cardinal from Amazon rainforest", 1 July 2022
- CNS via Our Sunday Visitor — "Amazon cardinal says consumerist cultures must learn from Indigenous", 24 October 2023
- CNS via Our Sunday Visitor — "For synodality at work, look to the Amazon, cardinal says", 19 October 2023
- CNS via Our Sunday Visitor — "Synod on Amazon opened the way for synod on synodality, cardinal says", 15 October 2024