Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop emeritus of Aparecida (Brazil), was born on 15 February 1937 in Capela Nova, Brazil. He began studying theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He went back to Brazil in 1968 and was ordained a priest on 19 March 1968. He later began teaching at the major seminary and at the University of Brasília.

On 18 June 1986 he was appointed titular Bishop of Novapietra and Auxiliary of Brasília, and was consecrated on 15 September 1986.

He served as the General Secretary of the C.E.L.A.M., Latin American Bishops’ Conference, (1991-1995) and the Secretary General of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (1995-1998 and 1999-2003). 

On 28 January 2004 he was appointed Archbishop of Aparecida.

From 2007 to 2011, he was President of C.E.L.A.M and from May 2011 to April 2015 he was President of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops.

President Delegate of III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2014) on The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization; President Delegate of the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015).

On November 16th, 2016, the Holy Father Francis accepted his resignation to the pastoral governance of the archdiocese of Aparecida (Brasile).  

He participated in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 20 November 2010, of the Title of Immacolata al Tiburtino (Mary Immaculate al Tiburtino).