Pentecostals make modest electoral gains

DESPITE THE earlier elimination of the presidential candidate Marina Silva, a Pentecostal, the so-called “Protestant bloc” increased its representation to 72 out of a total of 513 deputies in the second round of Brazil’s presidential elections last Sunday. The majority of these are Pentecostals: the Assemblies of God with 26 deputies and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God with 11 made up half the group.

Twelve of the deputies describe themselves as pastors and one as a bishop. Analysts say, however, that, despite its name, the group does not vote as a block on all issues in Congress.

The country’s president, Dilma Rousseff, narrowly secured a second term, defeating her opponent Aécio Neves by 52 per cent to 48 per cent. The campaign was the most closely fought and acrimonious in 40 years. In her victory speech, President Rousseff took over the opposition slogan of “change” and promised to work with all groups in society to fight corruption. Mr Neves compared himself to St Paul, saying he had “fought the good fight”.

As in the 2010 election, Pentecostal leaders were prominent in the media, notably Pastor Silas Malafaia of the Victory in Christ Church. Among Pentecostal candidates who won the most votes was Pastor Marcos Feliciano of the Assemblies of God, who became notorious in the last session of Congress for making homophobic comments. Last week, he doubled his vote. Less successful was Marcelo Crivella, a bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and nephew of its founder, Edir Macedo, who lost his bid to become governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The country’s Catholic bishops maintained a position of neutrality, but urged Catholics to judge candidates on issues such as education, health, the family, life and inequality. The bishops organised a debate between the presidential candidates before the first round of voting on 5 October. Some Catholics associated with Liberation Theology, such as Leonardo Boff, called for support for Rousseff, pointing to the Workers Party Government’s expansion of anti-poverty programmes.

Fr Marcelo Rossi, who became famous as a “singing priest” at the beginning of the Catholic charismatic movement, strongly condemned religious figures standing as candidates. Referring to the period before the separation of Church and state in Brazil in 1891, he said: “The Catholic Church went through that, the union of state, politics and religion. It was the worst period.”

President Rousseff makes no claim to religious affiliation.