Nuno Brás

In September 2021, the diocese, together with the parish of São Bento (Ribeira Brava) and in partnership with the Regional Government, inaugurated the Dragoeiro Alzheimer Unit. The projected head by Fr. Bernardino Trindade, took seven years to be built, and cost a million euros, of which 800 thousand were financed by European funds. The unit has the capacity to receive 63 patients (18 inpatients and 45 in the day centre) from all over Madeira.

In February 2020, following the debate in the Assembly of the Republic to approve the euthanasia in Portugal, Bishop Nuno Brás ordered all priest to give sermons against euthanasia and all parishes to distribute leaflets explaining the concepts of assisted death and of the right to life. The leaflets ordered to be distributed, and published by the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, contained only questions with answers defended by the Catholic Church that reinforce the conviction that “one must defend human life to the end. Never cause death".

Another action carried out by Bishop Nuno Brás, on Fevreuary 2020, in an attempt to raise the issue among the catholic people in Madeira, was to hold an ecumenical vigil in the Church of the College with leaders of other main Christian faiths on the island, among them Ilse Berardo. The vigil was attended by the President of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira and member of CDS-PP Madeira, José Manuel Rodrigues.

On January 12, 2019, Bishop Martins is elected by Pope Francis as Bishop of Funchal, succeeding António III. Upon knowing of his appointment Bishop Martins told the press that he felt "a mixture of fear and confidence. Fear because I am aware of my limitations; confidence because I know that Jesus will always be with me and not abandon me." A feeling he would later reiterate his mixed feeling in an interview given to RTP Madeira on February 14.

He arrived at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport on February 15, 2019 where he was greeted by his predecessor before kissing the ground following the custom set by Pope John Paul II.

On March 23, 2019, the Bishop Nuno announced through the diocese's Facebook page and on a historical note on the diocese's website the adoption of the diocese's coat of arms. The coat of arms was designed by Miguel Pinto-Correia following the economist's open letter to the bishop, published in the regional newspaper, suggesting that the Diocese should adopt a coat of arms on 600th anniversary of the discovery of Madeira.

On Madeira Day 2019, the year that Madeira celebrated its 600th anniversary of discovery and settlement, Bishop Martins addressed in the Te Deum Mass stressed that such a historical feat was, overall, also a beneficial Christian feat of the Church that became a blessing for the entire population that later settled on the island.

Nevertheless, as Bishop of Funchal, Nuno Martins refused to create, in 2019, a special commission to investigate cases of child abuse in the diocese, contrary to the example set by the Patriarchate of Lisbon, under the argument that "there are no cases that justify such". In this regard, Bishop Martins did not considered the case of Father Anastácio, who is missing, and who is being investigated by the Judiciary Police due to child abuse crimes. Instead he preferred to maintain an internal diocesan investigation on that specific case while stating that he does not want to "substitute the police" in this matter.

When interviewed on March 2, 2019, Bishop Martins admitted that homosexuals can be "good Christians". Further to this he stated that "God loves you in this situation of yours. And because he loves you, he invites you to convert. He invites you to change". He clarified that he views homosexuality as a condition and as such Jesus Christ invites all Christians to internally convert.

In 2019, Bishop Martins expressed his concern for the lack of a young population in the Autonomous Region of Madeira and a "frightening" low number of births. He also pointed out that young people who exist at any given moment, go to the mainland to attend university and lose their roots acquired in Madeira, implying lack of economic opportunities.

During the 2019 Madeiran regional election Bishop Martins appealed to candidates to use the electoral campaign as a "time of civilization" and criticized "personal attacks" and "slander" among politicians. He further requested that all candidates should have dignified debates and should "respect for the dignity of other participants”, the electoral campaign should be "a time and a space for civilization".

As Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchate of Lisbon and following the McCarrick case and Viganò allegations, happening at about the same time as the conclusion of the Grand jury investigation of Catholic Church sexual abuse in Pennsylvania, Bishop Martins, together with his peers of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference was co-signer of a public support letter addressed to Pope Francis. The letter was published on September 3, 2018, and followed the Portuguese National Symposium of the Clergy, held in Fátima.

Bishop Martins is then appointed, in 2016, by Pope Francis has member of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See, a position that would then lead him to become coordinator of the Social Communications of the Commission for Evangelization and Culture, body of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe in 2018.

As for the sex abuse scandal surrounding Father Anastácio Alves, Bishop Martins told the press, on his arrival to the island, that he will adopt the own way of proceeding of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, in force since 2012.

In 2011 he his elected, by Pope Benedict XVI, as Titular Bishop of Elvas and Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. He also served in the Portuguese Conference of Bishops as member of the sectorial commissions for Culture, Cultural Assets and Social Communications of the Catholic Church in Portugal and for Christian Education and the Doctrine of Faith.

Since 2009 he became member of the Scientific Society of the Portuguese Catholic University.

Madeira, as the rest of Portugal, has faced a huge decrease of clergyman, between 2009 and 2014, the country has lost more than 600 priests.

In Rome, Bishop Martins, was appointed Rector of the Pontifical Portuguese College between 2002 and 2005. One year afterwards, in 2006 he would be back in Portugal working closely in the Patriarchate administration as member of the Pastoral Council of the archdiocese of Lisbon and Canon of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Patriarchal See.

He later received his doctorate in Fundamental Theology in 1999, by the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, with the thesis: Christ perfect communicator. Theological reading for an interdisciplinary investigation on the communicative phenomenon, guided by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

Bishop Martins was against the regionalisation of mainland Portugal at the time of the 1998 Portuguese regionalisation referendum. Faced with his assignment to the Diocese of Funchal and on his first anniversary as bishop of the diocese he publicly acknowledge his misconceptions on the issue:

Apart from this Portuguese teaching positions, Bishop Martins has also taught at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, in 1996, and at the Pontifical Gregorian University, between 1999 and 2005.

Martins, first big role within the Catholic Church start in 1993 when he was appointed member of the educational team of the Olivais Major Seminary of Christ the King. Between 2005 and 2011 he would become Rector of the same clergy educational institution.

Nuno Brás da Silva Martins graduated in Theology from the Faculty of Theology of the Portuguese Catholic University in 1985. Five years later he earned his master's degree in Systematic Theology under the guidance of José IV, GCC and with the thesis The Christian life as an extension of the incarnation. Theology of Christian existence in the pastoral works of Cardinal Cerejeira.

Dom Nuno Brás da Silva Martins (Vimeiro, Lourinhã, 12 May 1963), most often referred to simply as Dom Nuno Brás, is a Portuguese Catholic bishop and current bishop of Funchal, Madeira.

Together with the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, the diocese is responsible for providing pastoral care for the patients of the Institute of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God located in Funchal, since 1924 and inaugurated by the Blessed Juan Jesús Adradas Gonzalo.