Born in Nova Russas, in the interior of Ceará, Moacir Anastácio de Carvalho was born on March 28, 1962. He is the 15th child of Anastácio José de Carvalho and Sebastiana de Sousa Carvalho. He was consecrated a priest in 1996 at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasília in the celebration presided over by Dom José Freire Falcão.