Brazil
Brazil’s evangelicals, bound to Bolsonaro, fight to follow his lead on pandemic
By Raphael Tsavkko Garcia — May 18, 2021
(RNS) — As the pandemic grew more dire through the spring, pastors have had a powerful influence on health policy.
Missionaries gain access to Amazon’s Indigenous peoples, despite pandemic
By Eduardo Campos Lima — August 13, 2020
SAO PAULO (RNS) — Indigenous rights groups now worry that the new law will prompt missionaries to enter their reservations, and spread coronavirus.
Brazil judge orders Netflix to remove film with gay Jesus
By The Associated Press — January 9, 2020
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered Netflix to stop showing a Christmas special that some called blasphemous for depicting Jesus as a gay man and which prompted a gasoline bomb attack on the satirists behind the program.
In Brazil, historic black lay Catholic ‘brotherhoods’ fight to survive
By Eduardo Campos Lima — December 6, 2019
(RNS) — After centuries resisting slavery, racism and inequality, dozens of black Catholic lay associations are hopeful that a new network and changes in the Church will extend their history.
Synod appears to be moving toward ordination for married men in Amazon
By Thomas Reese — October 15, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — One participant reported that only a couple of the 185 assembled bishops spoke against the idea during the first week of the synod.
Amazonian bishops condemn attacks on rainforest and indigenous peoples
By Thomas Reese — October 10, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Amazonian bishops took the floor at the synod in Rome this week to describe their region's problems in urgent, even personal terms.
Brazilian cardinal urges synod to open doors, knock down walls and build bridges
By Thomas Reese — October 7, 2019
(RNS) — At the first working session of the Vatican's meeting of bishops on the Amazon, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes urged the bishops to work to stop not only depletion of resources in the region but the social ills that accompany it.
Opposition to Amazon synod spurs new right-wing coalition in Brazil
By Eduardo Campos Lima — October 3, 2019
SÃO PAULO (RNS) — Its opposition to the Pan-Amazon synod's goals has given a group of conservative Catholic organizations new life as a wedge of the Brazilian president's populist base.
Synod for the Amazon about more than married priests
By Thomas Reese — September 17, 2019
(RNS) — For Pope Francis, the Amazon is important because it touches on so many themes of his papacy: concern for the marginalized, evangelization and protection of the environment.
As Amazon burns, Vatican prepares for summit on region’s sustainability
By Claire Giangravé — August 30, 2019
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Over the past year, the Vatican has collected a vast trove of information from some 87,000 researchers, clergy and other collaborators in the nine majority Catholic Amazonian countries.
Amazon fires deepen a split between Brazil’s evangelicals and fellow Christians
By Eduardo Campos Lima — August 28, 2019
SAO PAOLO (RNS) — The apparently intentional escalation of fires in the Amazon rainforest has contributed to a growing political split between Catholics and some Protestant groups and President Jair Bolsonaro's evangelical supporters.
After centuries of persecution, ‘lost’ Brazilian Jews struggle to regain their place
By Eduardo Campos Lima — May 28, 2019
SÃO PAULO (RNS) — Thanks to new tools for the study of genealogy and the help of a welcoming rabbi, the Bnei Anusim, or 'children of the coerced,' have taken their first steps to be fully recognized as Jews again.
Practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions fear increasing intolerance under Bolsonaro
By Eduardo Campos Lima — April 25, 2019
SAO PAULO (RNS) — During his campaign, Brazil's new president unapologetically dismissed the concerns of Afro-Brazilian communities, announcing at one point, 'The state is Christian and the minority will have to change.'
As Venezuela refugee crisis builds, church struggles to carry out pope’s call
By Eduardo Campos Lima — April 11, 2019
SAO PAULO (RNS) — The flow of refugees has overwhelmed efforts to meet Pope Francis' call to provide 'hospitality and acceptance' for immigrants.
Dartmouth physicist, known for doubting skeptics, wins 2019 Templeton Prize
By Chris Herlinger — March 19, 2019
(RNS) — Gleiser, the first Latin American to win the award honoring contributions to "affirming life’s spiritual dimension," describes himself as an agnostic but is an avowed critic of atheism.
