World
Flávio Bolsonaro accused sectors of the CNBB of spreading a false version, and the bishops rejected it
The senator and presidential candidate linked the PT and people within the episcopal conference to posts about Our Lady of Aparecida. The entity denied any involvement and questioned the accusations without evidence.
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a candidate for the Presidency, accused on Sunday the PT and people “from within” the Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil of collaborating in the spread of posts that attributed to him the intention of stripping Nossa Senhora Aparecida of the title of patron saint of Brazil.
According to Folha de S.Paulo, Bolsonaro made that statement after a caravan in Goiânia. O Globo, however, placed those remarks during an event in Aracaju. In both cases, the senator said it was a “fake news” campaign driven by his opponents.
The CNBB responded with a statement in which it denied having produced, authorized or participated in the preparation or dissemination of false information about the electoral process. The entity also said it is not part of any political-party structure and warned that attributing to it, without evidence, a role in disinformation operations unfairly harms it. “Lies are not fought with another lie,” the text said, as cited by both outlets.
According to Folha, Bolsonaro also said that the circulation of that version shows the rival campaign’s “desperation.” On the same day, he also questioned a decision by Minister Flávio Dino, of the Supreme Federal Court, who set aside an order from the Superior Electoral Court and allowed the restoration of a post by comedian Antonio Tabet about the case.
According to both outlets, the controversy grew after Tabet posted on X an image of Nossa Senhora Aparecida with a critical phrase about the Bolsonaro family. Earlier, Minister André Mendonça, vice president of the TSE, had ordered the removal of posts of that kind. Later, Dino overturned that decision, considering, according to Folha, that the post did not mention the senator or his relatives by name, and according to O Globo, to safeguard freedom of expression.
O Globo added that GloboNews corrected a previous report about an alleged mobilization to strip the saint of the title of patron saint and clarified that there is currently no bill with that content in Congress nor any organized mobilization in that sense.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do original reporting on this event.
