The Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro has fallen victim to carjackers in an attack in the north of the city.
It is the second time Cardinal Orani Tempesta's car has been targeted in the crime-ridden Brazilian city, which is due to host the 2016 Olympics.
According to police and the archbishop's office, he was returning home with friends on Sunday after celebrating mass when the car was stopped.
"Four heavily armed bandits blocked the car, declared a robbery and took the driver hostage. He was freed after a short distance, but the bandits made off with the car, as well as personal belongings of all the occupants. Despite the fright, no one was injured," the archbishop's office said in a statement.
However, the statement added: "The episode demonstrates to what extent the cardinal is not far from the reality of his people. He is the good shepherd who would give his life for his sheep."
Cardinal Tempesta's previous run-in with criminals occurred last September, when his car was stopped in the central neighbourhood of Santa Teresa. Thieves stole photographic equipment, his ring and crucifix and the robes of a trainee priest.
Rio's police are struggling to contain the crime and violence which mars the city, where the decision to hold the Olympics is deeply controversial. Forced evictions have meant rising social tensions, and water shortages and pollution threaten both the city's infrastructure and the games themselves.
