Sérgio da Rocha

Sérgio da Rocha (; born 21 October 1959) is a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since 2016 and the Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia since 11 March 2020. He has been a bishop since 2001, first as auxiliary bishop of Fortaleza from 2001 to 2007, coadjutor and then archbishop of Teresina from 2007 to 2011, and archbishop of Brasília from 2011 to 2020. He is a member of the Council of Cardinals.

Biography Rocha was born in Dobrada in the state of São Paulo on 21 October 1959 He received his episcopal consecration on 11 August. He was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Teresina on 31 January 2007 and he became archbishop there on 3 September 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI named Rocha to succeed João Braz de Aviz as archbishop of Brasilia on 15 June 2011. He took possession of that see on 6 August. In Brasília, he erected 11 new parishes, created new plans for supporting the homeless and young people, reorganized the seminary, and restructured the leadership of the archdiocese. following the Synod on the Family which Rocha attended as president of the Brazilian Bishops Conference.

Rocha has been a member of the Commission for Doctrine of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil (CNBB), and a member of its Task Force to Overcome Poverty and Hunger. For the Northeast Regional Conference, he led the Youth and Vocational Ministry, and served as its secretary, a member of its Doctrine Commission, a member of its permanent council, and as its president. For the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) he has led the Vocations and Ministries Department.

Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal on 19 November 2016, naming him Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Via Flaminia.

In November 2017, Pope Francis appointed Rocha relator general of the October 2018 Synod on Youth and Vocations.

On 11 March 2020, Pope Francis named him archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia.

On 21 May 2021, at the request of local LGBT rights organizations, Rocha celebrated a Mass for murdered members of the LGBT community. In his homily he said: The Church is called to be a merciful mother; it suffers with the violence perpetrated against the people.... Violence against the LGBTI+ population is a sad signal of a society which is used to constant violations of life, of dignity, of the rights of so many victims of brutal death.

On 7 March 2023, Pope Francis appointed him to the Council of Cardinal Advisors.

He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.