A Pai-de-santo is a male priest in Umbanda, Candomblé and other African-Brazilian religions. In Portuguese those words means father of saint, which is a improper translation from the Yoruba language word "babalorishá", a title given to the African religions priests. Babá means father, and the contraction l'Orishá means "of Orishá". As a product of the syncretism, the word Orishá (elevated or ancestral spirit) was improperly translated into Portuguese as saint.
In the African-Brazilian religions the priests are the owners of the tradition, knowledge and culture and the ones responsible to pass it on to the new generations because there are no sacred written books.