What to know about the viral claim about Brazil’s patron saint jolting a tight presidential race

Flávio Bolsonaro has denied claims that he intends to remove Our Lady of Aparecida as the patron saint of Brazil. The controversy emerged following an August 23 video in which Flávio Bolsonaro stated he would declare that Brazil belongs to Jesus Christ.

Some Catholics and supporters of incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva interpreted the comment as a plan to strip the patron saint of her status. Critics pointed to a 2007 bill introduced by Victório Galli, an ally of Jair Bolsonaro, which sought to change the country's religious recognition. Flávio Bolsonaro called the accusations a lie and the biggest fake news of the campaign.

The dispute comes days before the October 4 election, where polls show Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro in a close race. If no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff will occur on October 25. Religion is a central issue in the election, as a 2022 census reported that 56.7 percent of the population is Catholic and 26.9 percent is Evangelical.