Nelson Águia, Deacon, Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Roman Catholic Church

Father Nelson Augusto Águia, a Catholic priest within the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, holds a degree in philosophy from the Faculdade João Paulo II of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, a degree in theology from the Faculty of the Benedictine Monastery in Rio de Janeiro, and a degree in law from the State University of Rio de Janeiro. As a legal professional, he is a member of the Brazilian Lawyers Association–Rio de Janeiro Section and contributes to the Religious Freedom Committee of the Rio de Janeiro State Lawyers Assistance Fund. He currently serves as coordinator of the Interreligious Commission of Jurists for Peace. In addition, he is a professor of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue at the School of Deacons of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro and secretary for the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the archdiocese. Father Nelson has been a member and leader on a wide variety of commissions and councils that work to promote religious freedom. He has shared his expertise as both a participant and speaker in numerous forums dedicated to interreligious dialogue and the importance of respecting religious beliefs.