Brazilian president’s criticism of Catholic Church sparks response

The bishop of Piracicaba (São Paulo state), Brazil, Devair Araújo da Fonseca, criticized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva following his remarks implying the Church needs to end celibacy and ordain women if it wants to grow. Da Silva is running for reelection as the Workers’ Party candidate.

During a Sept. 16 meeting at the Planalto Palace (president’s office) in the capital, Brasília, with Americans and Brazilians from the Evangelical Front for the Rule of Law, Da Silva said he had “the opportunity to speak to Pope Francis” about these topics.

“As long as the Catholic Church doesn’t end celibacy and allow women to be priests, to be bishops — allow women to speak, you know? — we’re going to see the Catholic Church face difficulties,” he said. In Da Silva’s view, the fact that a woman can “be whatever she wants” is what “has caused the evangelical church to grow so much in Brazil.”

Catholics currently make up about 57% of the population, down from about 90% in 1970.

On Sept. 19, Araújo da Fonseca posted a video on his social media channels featuring a homily he had delivered the previous night in Santa Bárbara dʼOeste (São Paulo state), in which he responded to the…