 His remains were flown out to Belo Horizonte and then transported via vehicle to Mariana for the funeral which Cardinal Cláudio Hummes presided over.On 4 May 2011 his successor in Mariana requested that the national episcopal conference consider lodging an official petition to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to initiate the cause for beatification for the late archbishop; the conference announced in June the formal application would be made that August.The transfer of the forum for the local investigation of the process was made on 5 November 2011 from São Paulo (where he died) to Mariana.