Brazil's Patron Saint Becomes Viral Election Issue

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil’s patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida, has become an unexpected election issue days before the October 4 vote, following a viral comment by presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro. The controversy has propelled religion to the forefront of the campaign in Latin America's largest country, where approximately 56.7% of the population identifies as Catholic and 26.9% as Evangelical, according to a 2022 census.

In an August 23 video, Sen. Bolsonaro stated he would "declare that Brazil belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ." Some Catholics interpreted this as an intention to remove Our Lady of Aparecida as Brazil's patron saint. Supporters of his main rival, incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, amplified this interpretation on social media.

They pointed to a 2007 bill proposed by then-lawmaker Victório Galli, a Bolsonaro ally, which aimed for a similar outcome. The proposal was later shelved. Despite local media reports linking the Bolsonaro family to a bishop who has defended such a move, Sen. Bolsonaro has consistently denied any intention to remove the patron saint and has called the accusations "the biggest fake news of the campaign." He has clarified that his comment referred to a symbolic act, such as a prayer.

Analysts suggest the accusation gained traction because it tapped into Catholics' concerns about losing ground to Evangelicals, whose share of the population has nearly tripled over three decades, from 9% in 1991 to 26.9% in 2022. "Catholics worry that the increase of Evangelicalism could translate into the removal of important national symbols and cultural markers of Catholicism," said Rodrigo Toniol, an anthropology professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

With polls indicating a close race, the controversy could potentially affect Sen. Bolsonaro's support among Catholics. "It can have an impact on voting, although we will only know how big of an impact on Sunday," Toniol commented.

Lula, who is Catholic, addressed the accusation indirectly, telling supporters, "As long as I am President of the Republic, no one will make a mockery of Our Lady of Aparecida."

Separately, the dispute has involved Brazil's judicial system. Sen. Bolsonaro's lawyers filed a complaint with electoral authorities. Justice André Mendonca initially ordered the removal of posts claiming Sen. Bolsonaro would remove the saint's title, but Justice Flávio Dino overturned that ruling. Subsequently, Justice Luiz Fux reversed Dino's decision. Brazil's top electoral authority was scheduled to hold a session on the matter.

It is important to note that a Brazilian president does not possess the authority to demote Our Lady of Aparecida; this is a prerogative of the Vatican. Pope Pius XI declared her Brazil's patron saint in 1930, a title subsequently recognized by the Brazilian state. Sen. Bolsonaro's campaign has accused the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) of helping Lula's Workers' Party spread the rumor, an accusation the CNBB denied, stating, "a lie cannot be fought with another lie."