Father José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva was cited in the final report of the Federal Police (PF) that investigated the attempted coup d’état involving former president Jair Bolsonaro and allies.
According to WhatsApp messages analyzed by the PF, José Eduardo de Oliveira sent a “prayer to the coup” to Gilson da Silva Pupo Azevedo, with the contact saved as “Frei Gilson”.
The text, shared on November 3, 2023, asked all Brazilians, Catholics and evangelicals, to include the names of the then Minister of Defense, General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, and 16 other four-star generals – the latter belonging to the highest rank Army soldier – in your prayers.
“Below is a list with the name of the Minister of Defense and sixteen other 4-star Generals so that all Brazilians, Catholics and evangelicals, include them in their prayers, asking God to give them the courage to save Brazil, help them to overcome cowardice and encourage them to act with historical awareness and not just as public servants in uniform”, shares the priest in the message.
According to the PF, “the message demonstrates that Jose Eduardo, shortly after Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat in the presidential elections, was already disseminating the idea of a
coup d’état supported by the Armed Forces.”
According to the PF, the prayer was sent with the aim of “keeping the then president in power and preventing the elected government from taking office”.
“Frei Gilson, only pass it on to people you trust strictly!”, wrote Father José Eduardo after sending the message.
What does the priest say
The priest’s defense, through his social networks, said that “the report does not provide any serious, concrete proof of the priest’s participation in any act aimed at breaking the democratic State”.
Who is José Eduardo de Oliveira
With more than 431 thousand followers on social media, Catholic priest José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva was born in Piracicaba (SP).
In 2006, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Osasco, located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo.
by the Federal Police (PF) for the crimes of violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, criminal organization and coup d’état.
the priest told the PF that he spoke to those investigated for the January 8 attacks only to provide “spiritual support” and that he has no connection with the coup attempt.
