The Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro appeared at a Mass at the national shrine in Aparecida on Wednesday 12 October, when Brazilian Catholics celebrate the feast of Our Lady Aparecida, patroness of Brazil.
Bolsonaro a candidate for re-election, attended the shrine in the state of São Paulo together with his son Eduardo, a federal congressman, and an ally who is candidate for governor of São Paulo state.
The president’s arrival caused a stir in the congregation, and the celebrant had to call for silence so that the Mass could begin. The Archbishop of Aparecida, Orlando Brandes, said that the president would be received “with every respect”, but commented that people should “have a religious identity”.
“I cannot judge people, but we need to have a religious identity,” he said. “Either we’re Protestants or we’re Catholics. But whatever the intention, [Bolsonaro] will be very welcome because he is our president.”
Bolsonaro slides between the Catholicism into which he was baptised and the Pentecostalism where he has most support. Earlier in the day, in Belo Horizonte, Bolsonaro had appeared alongside Apostle Valdemiro Santiago, leader of the World Church of the Power of God.
Before leaving Aparecida Bolsonaro claimed that if his rival, ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (commonly known as Lula), were elected he would close churches. In fact, Lula’s government introduced legislation making it easier for small independent churches to be legally recognised.
On the previous day, the president and vice-presidents of the Brazilian bishops conference had issued a statement condemning “the intensification of the exploitation of faith and religion to win votes in the second round”.
“Specifically religious moments cannot be used by candidates to present their campaign proposals and other issues related to the elections,” they said. “The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops regrets and condemns such behaviour. Religious manipulation always undermines Gospel values and diverts attention from the real problems that need to be debated and faced in our Brazil.”
The second round of the election for President and state governors takes place on 30 October.
Also on 12 October, Lula’s campaign put out a statement quoting the Brazilian Constitution’s provision that “freedom of conscience and belief is inviolable, and the free exercise of religious celebrations is guaranteed”.
Two days later, on 14 October in Fortaleza, capital of the north-eastern state of Ceará, a man fired at a church where the first lady, Michele Bolsonaro was due to speak alongside the family minister and pastor Damares Alves. No-one was injured and the event went ahead.
On 15 October the Supreme Electoral Court ordered the Bolsonaro campaign to withdraw material linking Lula with support for abortion. Judge Cármen Lúcia called the material “a gross adulteration” of Lula’s remarks on the subject.
On Sunday, 16 October, the Archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Odilo Scherer, protested on his Twitter account after being accused of supporting Lula's Workers Party because he has a photo on his profile of him dressed in red.
“What strange times these are!” he wrote. “I know quite a lot of history. Sometimes I seem to be reliving the times of the rise to power of totalitarian regimes, especially fascism. We need a lot of calm and discernment at the moment.”
He continued: “If anyone is surprised at my red robes, they should know that the colour of cardinals is (blood) red, symbolising love for the Church and prepared for martyrdom if need be.”
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