Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro denied claims that he plans to remove Our Lady of Aparecida as Brazil’s patron saint during a rally in Goiânia on September 27. The Brazilian presidential election is scheduled for October 4.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro are the frontrunners in the Brazilian presidential election. Polls indicate Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro are level in support ahead of the election.

The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) denied Flávio Bolsonaro's accusation that it helped spread rumors about him. Flávio Bolsonaro has reported links to JB Carvalho, an evangelical leader who has called for the removal of Our Lady of Aparecida as patron saint.

President Inácio Lula da Silva responded to the controversy at a rally in the Amazon. As long as I’m president, no one will disrespect Our Lady of Aparecida. No one.

People need to learn to respect all religions, Inácio Lula da Silva said. He appeared at a campaign rally holding statuettes of the Virgin Mary. Janja da Silva, wife of Inácio Lula da Silva, wore a pendant honoring Our Lady of Aparecida during the campaign.

He told supporters at a campaign event: "As long as I am President of the Republic, no one will make a mockery of Our Lady of Aparecida." Geraldo Alckmin, Lula’s vice-presidential running mate, published a video stating he received messages from Catholics worried about the direction of the country.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s lawyers lodged a complaint with Brazil’s electoral authorities regarding publications claiming he would remove Our Lady of Aparecida’s title. Justice André Mendonca ordered the removal of publications stating Flávio Bolsonaro would remove Our Lady of Aparecida’s title as patron saint. Justice Flávio Dino overturned Justice André Mendonca’s ruling two days after it was issued.

Justice Luiz Fux reversed Justice Flávio Dino’s decision regarding the removal of publications about Flávio Bolsonaro. Brazil's top electoral authority held a session on the matter but had not reached a decision at the time of publication.

Historical tensions over religious symbolism include a 1995 incident where a neo-Pentecostal pastor named Sérgio von Helder physically assaulted a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida on live television during a program called 'O Despertar da Fé.' Luiz Antônio Simas recalled a 1995 incident where a neo-Pentecostal pastor kicked a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida on television.

Religious demographics have shifted in recent decades. According to a 2022 census by Brazil’s national statistics agency, 26.9% of Brazil's population is Evangelical. The percentage of Evangelicals in Brazil rose from 9% in 1991 to 26.9% in 2022.

Why It Matters

Traumann, a political analyst, said the controversy over Our Lady of Aparecida "could sway things one way or the other." He stated that the controversy touched a raw nerve regarding the growing political power of evangelicals in Brazil. He said evangelicals make up about 30% of Brazil's population, but their political power is greater than 30%.

Luiz Antônio Simas, a historian, said the outcry over Our Lady of Aparecida "was a symptom of the popularity that Aparecida and the Virgin Mary in general have in the formation of our culture." He noted that Our Lady of Aparecida is present in samba parades, football culture, and Afro-Brazilian faiths. Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro by less than 2% in the previous presidential election.

Timeline

Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Aparecida the patron saint of Brazil in 1930. In 2007, Victório Galli, a Bolsonaro ally, introduced legislation to remove Our Lady of Aparecida as patron saint, but the bill was dropped.

What's New

Inácio Lula da Silva told supporters at a campaign event: "As long as I am President of the Republic, no one will make a mockery of Our Lady of Aparecida." Flávio Bolsonaro denied claims that he plans to remove Our Lady of Aparecida as Brazil’s patron saint during a rally in Goiânia on September 27. In 2007, Victório Galli, a former congressman and special adviser to Jair Bolsonaro, proposed a bill to change the designation of Our Lady of Aparecida from 'Patroness of Brazil' to 'Patroness of Brazilian Roman Catholic Brazilians.'

Our Lady of Aparecida was declared the patron saint of Brazil by Pope Pius XI in 1930, a title that was later recognized by the Brazilian state. Flávio Bolsonaro called the accusations against him "the biggest fake news of the campaign." His lawyers lodged a complaint with Brazil’s electoral authorities regarding publications claiming he would remove Our Lady of Aparecida’s title. In 1995, a neo-Pentecostal pastor named Sérgio von Helder physically assaulted a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida on live television during a program called 'O Despertar da Fé.'