Francisco Carlos da Silva

Francisco Carlos da Silva (born 30 September 1955) is a Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate. He is the inaugural bishop of Jaú since 2024. He was also bishop of Ituiutaba from 2007 to 2015 and bishop of Lins from 2015 to 2024.

Early life and education Silva attended the Grupo Escolar Professor Paulista and the Escola Estadual Abdalla Miguel in Tabatinga. From 1976 to 1978, he studied philosophy at the seminary in São Carlos, and from 1979 to 1982, he studied Catholic theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. During his studies in Campinas, he was an alumnus of the Paulo VI Seminary. He was ordained a deacon on 2 January 1982, and received the sacrament of priestly ordination for the Diocese of São Carlos on December 11 of the same year in Tabatinga from the Coadjutor Bishop of São Carlos, Constantino Amstalden.

Priesthood After his ordination to the priesthood, Silva initially served as a parish vicar at the Cathedral of São Carlos Borromeu in São Carlos and at the parish of Divino Espirito Santo in Itápolis, before becoming parish administrator in 1983 and later parish priest of São Sebastião in Itaju. From 1984, he was parish priest of São Sebastião in Borborema. There, he coordinated the construction of the new parish church as well as the chapels of São Benedito (1991), Nossa Senhora Aparecida (1992) in the Vila Hermes district, and Santa Edwiges (1996) in the Vila Cristina district. He also had a catechesis center built and the parish printing and publishing house renovated. Furthermore, at his initiative, the first Vincentian Conference was founded in the parish in September 1986.

Silva was appointed by Pope Francis as Bishop of Lins on 30 September 2015. He was installed on 27 November of the same year. Under Silva's leadership, the first diocesan synod of the Diocese of Lins was held. Furthermore, at his initiative, the diocesan pastoral center and the bishop's residence were renovated, and a new building was constructed for the diocesan curia. He also reorganized the diocese's finances and introduced transparency criteria in financial management. In addition, as Bishop of Lins, he was responsible for the fasting ministry in the Sul 1 region of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference.