In a message addressed to the apostle Estevam Hernandes and Bishop Sônia, leaders of the March for Jesus held in the city of São Paulo on Thursday, 19, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva regretted not being able to attend the event due to government commitments, but said he was being represented by Union Attorney General Jorge Messias. Lula highlighted the couple’s performance as “true pastors of their people.”
“Since I was very proud of the law that instituted the National Day of the March for Jesus in 2009, I see with hope how this celebration grew and became a symbol of unity, peace and commitment to Christian values: compassion, mercy, respect for differences and love for others,” Lula said in a statement on Thursday, 19. To unite their people and put worship with God at the center of personal life and the nation, ”he added.
According to the president, the march is much more than an event. According to him, he became an “extraordinary act of collective faith, a walk of prayer, of praise and commitment to a more human, more fair and more supportive Brazil”. Lula also highlighted the strength and generosity of the Brazilian people, “a people of faith, who does not give up”, and stated that this is what inspires the government to put the Brazilian family in the center of decisions, “taking care of those who need it”.
The agent reaffirmed his government’s commitment to religious freedom and respect for the diversity of beliefs, stating that religious plurality is one of the greatest riches of our democracy. “Our government has promoted interreligious dialogue, respecting the different beliefs, and valued the role of churches in the construction of a fairer and more supportive Brazil”,
