Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – The patron saint of Brazil is the subject of heated controversy a few days before the presidential election, in one of the countries with the most Christians in the world.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 10:40

As the first round approaches on October 4, outgoing left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva exploited rumors on social media that his right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro plans to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of the title of patron saint of the largest country in Latin America.

This controversy highlights the tensions between the Catholic majority and the evangelical community. Evangelicals have steadily gained ground in recent years in Brazil, becoming an essential component of the conservative electoral base.

The Virgin of Aparecida, to whom one of the largest religious temples in the world is dedicated, in the state of Sao Paulo (southeast), is a very important saint for Brazilian Catholics. Evangelicals do not recognize his cult.

“As long as I am president, no one will attack Our Lady of Aparecida,” Lula said during a meeting in Belem (north).

The son of ex-far-right president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) shouted “disinformation”. He said he respected "all religions" and that such a project had "never existed."

The controversy began after media reports cited alleged concern within the Catholic Church over the status of the saint, who was represented in the country as a black woman.

The president's decision to "give oxygen to rumors" marks a turning point in his way of addressing believing voters, Victor Araujo, professor of political science at the University of Reading (United Kingdom), told AFP.

According to him, "by actively engaging in religious controversies and integrating them into the main campaign, Lula is trying to neutralize Bolsonaro's moral appeal and force his rival to go on the defensive on religious grounds."

“Pure politics”

Janaina, 51, a Catholic and plastic arts teacher in Rio de Janeiro, is convinced that the right has the patron saint in its sights.

“Religion has nothing to do with politics,” she said, expressing concern about evangelicals “who want this other religion to grow (...) and attack the Catholic Church.”

André Paschoal, faithful from the same parish, is less convinced. “Instead of being sincere, (Lula) uses an artificial lie,” laments this 58-year-old civil servant.

“It’s pure politics,” adds Tereza Helael while going to an evangelical service in the city center. “It’s intended to reach a certain group (...) just to get votes,” believes this 70-year-old artist.

His detractors have provided no proof that Flavio Bolsonaro would entertain the project of stripping Our Lady of Aparecida of her title of patron saint.

But left-wing sympathizers recalled on social networks the existence of a 2007 bill going in this direction. Presented by a deputy who subsequently became an advisor to Jair Bolsonaro, this text never saw the light of day.

Brazil, one of the main symbols of which is Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro, has the second largest Christian population in the world, behind the United States, according to a study by the Pew Research Center published last year.

Polls credit Lula with a slight advantage over son Bolsonaro on Sunday, but the two favorites appear tied for a possible second round on October 25.

The champion of the left received 48% of Catholic voting intentions in the first round, compared to 29% for Flavio Bolsonaro, according to a survey by the Quaest institute.

The voting intentions of evangelicals go in the opposite direction, with 46% for the conservative and 27% for the outgoing president.

“This controversy is a reaction to the political activity of these churches, which has become increasingly aggressive in recent years,” analyzes Rodrigo Nunes, professor of philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

However, he adds, most Catholics are troubled by this rumor "because it calls into question their tacit, implicit position as the dominant religion in Brazil."

© 2026 AFP

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