Ordinaries, in reverse chronological order • Arch
bishops of Natal (Roman rite), below • Archbishop João Santos Cardoso (since 2023.07.05) • Archbishop Jaime Vieira Rocha (2011.12.21 - 2023.07.) • Archbishop Matias Patrício de Macêdo (2003.11.26 – 2011.12.21) • Archbishop
Heitor de Araújo Sales (1993.10.27 – 2003.11.26) • Archbishop
Alair Vilar Fernandes de Melo (1988.04.06 – 1993.10.27) • Archbishop
Nivaldo Monte (1967.09.06 – 1988.04.06) • Archbishop
Marcolino Esmeraldo de Souza Dantas (1952.02.16 – 1967.04.08) • Bishops of Natal (Roman Rite), below • Bishop Marcolino Esmeraldo de Souza Dantas (later Archbishop) (1929.03.01 – 1952.02.16) • Bishop
José Pereira Alves (1922.10.27 – 1928.01.27) • Bishop
Antônio dos Santos Cabral (1917.09.01 – 1921.11.21), appointed Bishop of Belo Horizonte; future Archbishop • Bishop
Joaquim Antônio d’Almeida (1910.10.23 – 1915.06.14)
Auxiliary bishops •
Eugênio de Araújo Sales (1954–1964), appointed Apostolic Administrator of São Salvador da Bahia; future Cardinal •
Antônio Soares Costa, appointed Bishop of Caruaru, Pernambuco in 1993
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops •
José Tomas Gomes da Silva, appointed Bishop of Aracajú in 1911 •
Francisco Canindé Palhano, appointed Bishop of Bonfim, Bahia in 2006 •
Edilson Soares Nobre, appointed Bishop of Oeiras, Piaui in 2017 ==Suffragan dioceses==