Paulo Cezar Costa was born on 20 July 1967 in Valença, Brazil. He studied philosophy at the Nossa Senhora do Amor Divino seminary in Petrópolis and theology at the Higher Institute of Theology of the archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Valença on 5 December 1992. After parish ministry in Paraíba do Sul (1993) and Vassouras (1994–1996), he took a licentiate and doctorate in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1996–2001), then returned to a pastorate in Valença (2001–2006), the rectorship of the Paulo VI interdiocesan seminary in Nova Iguaçu, and the direction of the theology department at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (2007–2010).
Appointed auxiliary bishop of Rio de Janeiro on 24 November 2010 and consecrated on 5 February 2011, he served as administrative director of World Youth Day Rio 2013. Francis named him bishop of São Carlos on 22 June 2016 — where he installed an ecclesiastical tribunal, created episcopal vicariates and reopened the propaedeutic seminary — and archbishop of Brasília on 21 October 2020; he took possession on 12 December 2020. Created cardinal on 27 August 2022, with the titular church of Santi Bonifacio ed Alessio, he serves on the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In the capital he has made dialogue his signature, against hunger and against political polarization, insisting the Church takes no party's side but must meet every person. He was a cardinal elector in the 2025 conclave.
Consequential Quotes
We are in a polarized society, living through an election season, but along this path the Church has a fundamental role as a promoter of dialogue
Dialogue is this capacity to meet each person. Whether of the right or of the left. To dialogue, to listen, because everyone has something to say, everyone has reasons to give
Thinking differently, holding different positions, cannot lead to hatred, cannot lead to rivalries, cannot lead to creating enemies. That is not the way
Only love can help us build a Brazilian society more worthy of the greatness of God and the dignity of the human being, created in the image and likeness of God
I carry you in my heart. Always count on my prayers, my solidarity and my voice, which also wants to give voice to your suffering, to give voice to the horrors the war is making you endure. God be with you.
I count on the effective participation of Vincentians in this campaign, because this is one of the concerns of our Archdiocese: the reduction of poverty.
Major Works & Initiatives
World Youth Day Rio 2013 — administrative director
Served as administrative director of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, the first international apostolic journey of Pope Francis's pontificate.
Rebuilding the Diocese of São Carlos
In his first year as bishop he installed an ecclesiastical tribunal, created four episcopal vicariates, and reopened the propaedeutic seminary.
Brasília campaign against hunger
Announced an archdiocesan campaign against hunger, launched on 13 August 2022, the feast of Saint Dulce of the Poor, enlisting the Vincentians in the reduction of poverty.
Solidarity visit to Ukraine
Travelled to war-torn Ukraine in July 2025, celebrating Mass and bringing the prayers and solidarity of the Brazilian Church to a people under bombardment.
Controversies
Dialogue and the 2026 election season
Costa's see is the seat of Brazil's government, and in the polarized 2026 election season his encounters with candidates were read politically: presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro visited him, received an image of Our Lady Aparecida, and attended the Aparecida Mass at the cathedral. Critics treated such encounters as electoral signalling by a cardinal who should stay above the contest. Costa's stated position, given the same week, is that the Church is not partisan and takes no party's side, but assumes the posture of dialogue — meeting people of right and left alike, because everyone has something to say. The episode is contested precisely over whether dialogue with all candidates can stay visibly neutral in a campaign.