Brazil
John of God’s sexual assault arrest tarnishes Brazil’s spiritist movement
By Eduardo Campos Lima — January 30, 2019
SAO PAOLO, Brazil (RNS) — More than 600 women — varying in age from 8 to 67 — have accused the medium of sexual assault, adding a distressing chapter to the long history of spiritist mediums in Brazil.
Brazilian president’s win leaves him in debt to evangelical bloc
By Eduardo Campos Lima — December 17, 2018
SAO PAOLO, Brazil (RNS) — Posing as a political savior for the Christian right, Jair Bolsonaro now has to live up to high expectations.
Photos of the Week
By Kit Doyle — May 26, 2018
(RNS) — Each week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s gallery includes images from England, Texas, Hong Kong, Brazil and more.
Brazilian women break taboo to talk about illegal abortions
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — January 4, 2018
(AP) Women are going public to build support for reproductive rights, which are tightly restricted in heavily Catholic and evangelical Brazil.
In Brazil, religious gang leaders say they’re waging a holy war
By Robert Muggah — November 3, 2017
(THE CONVERSATION) — The expression 'evangelical drug trafficker' may sound incongruous, but in Rio de Janeiro, it’s an increasingly familiar phenomenon.
‘They kept us as slaves’: AP reveals claims against church
By Mitch Weiss — July 28, 2017
SPINDALE, N.C. (AP) — In a statement released late Wednesday (July 26), pastors of the Ministerio Evangelico Comunidade Rhema church in Franco da Rocha, Brazil, called the former members' accusations 'many lies and distorted facts.'
Catholics surge in Africa but priest shortages persist in other parts of the globe
By Josephine McKenna — April 6, 2017
VATICAN CITY (RNS) While noting the statistics presented a 'mixed picture,' the Vatican reiterated 'the positive trend' of Catholic growth, especially in the African continent.
Dancer defends her decision to perform nearly naked in Mardi Gras parade
By Janet Tappin Coelho — February 24, 2017
RIO DE JANEIRO (RNS) The dancer said nudity is relevant to the overall theme of the samba display but that should not 'affect her Christian beliefs.'
The 50th anniversary of the greatest religious movement few have heard of
By R. Andrew Chesnut — February 20, 2017
(RNS) The Catholic Charismatic Renewal ranks second only to Protestant Pentecostalism among significant new Christian movements to emerge over the past century.
It ain’t Copacabana, but Brazilians bring Christmas to the shores of Lake Tahoe
By Kimberly Winston — December 22, 2016
(RNS) Brazilians in the U.S. bring a little of their summertime Christmas to Northern California.
Partial decriminalization of abortion in Brazil provokes ire of religious right
By Yonat Shimron — December 1, 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (RNS) Brazil is home to the world's largest Catholic and Pentecostal population. It also has the highest incidence of abortion, the great majority clandestine.
How ascendant evangelicals helped defeat Colombia’s peace accord
By guest — October 11, 2016
(RNS) While the evangelical right in the U.S. is experiencing steady decline, its counterpart in much of Latin America is a driving force behind the shift to the political right across the region.
Brazilian priest cited in ‘Spotlight’ hangs himself in jail
By David Gibson — August 9, 2016
BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) The Rev. Bonifacio Buzzi was convicted of abusing a 10-year-old boy a decade ago. He was arrested last week on charges of molesting two more boys.
Pope accepts resignation of Brazilian bishop in sex abuse case
By RNS staff — July 6, 2016
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican said Francis had accepted the resignation of Bishop Aldo di Cillo Pagotto of Paraiba, 66, citing a section of church law under which bishops are obliged to tender their resignation if they are ill or if there is "grave cause."
Brazilian judge trains clergy to mediate domestic disputes
By Janet Tappin Coelho — April 4, 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (RNS) The "To Mediate is Divine" program offers a simpler and cheaper arbitration route with the goal of developing alternative methods of conflict resolution.
