The Archbishop of Sao Paolo, Brazil, was once considered a revolutionary but is said to have become a moderate.

In the 1970s, when Brazil was socially volatile, he opposed the military government and supported strikes by workers.

When he was chosen to lead Sao Paulo, Cardinal Hummes, 70, refused to allow himself to be labelled progressive or conservative. He has said his biggest challenge is how to deal with the country's immense poverty and the effects of a globalised economy.

Photograph:RAFAEL DURAN/AFP/Getty Images

Also See: On the Road to Sainthood