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The Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, asked the STF (Supreme Federal Court) to suspend the decrees, municipal and state, that prohibit the celebration of services, masses and other religious activities of a collective nature. The PGR’s argument is that, in addition to the Constitution guaranteeing religious freedom, spiritual assistance is essential for many people to face the pandemic.
Aras manifested himself in the action filed by the PSD against the São Paulo government decree, which vetoes face-to-face religious meetings. The request is that the suspension be immediate so that it is possible to celebrate Holy Week. The PGR’s request, if approved by the STF, takes effect for decisions of other states and municipalities that have also prohibited these in-person events.
The intention of the PGR is that churches and temples can be released to function, respecting the distance and prevention protocols of covid-19. With this, argues the PGR, openness guarantees the mental and spiritual health of the population in one of the worst moments of the pandemic in Brazil.
The PGR justifies the precautionary measure arguing that the danger of delaying a decision “stems from the worsening of the covid-19 epidemic in the state of São Paulo and that it is in an important period for the Christian religious tradition (Holy Week)” .
For Aras, the prohibition of cults, masses and other collective religious activities “inflicts greater suffering on the population of the state, who cannot even help themselves in religious temples to profess their faith on behalf of loved ones who have been gone or for the health of those who are affected by the disease. “
Aras also pointed out that not all religious activities can be conducted online and that this creates a privilege for practitioners of some religions at the expense of others, and not everyone has fast internet access.
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