The favoritism as the president’s candidate () for the open vacancy on the (Supreme Federal Court) leaves the court close to having its second minister, but the plenary will continue with a broad Catholic majority.
In general, Supreme Court ministers deny that faith influences decisions and the construction of their votes. However, the religious factor appears in discussions about the profile of magistrates, and biblical citations have increased in judgments, including in cases unrelated to the topic.
Catholicism is the religion of most of the 10 current ministers of the STF — one seat has been vacant since the departure of .
Questioned by Sheet, , , and replied that they are Catholics. He claimed to be a Christian, with a Catholic background. He said that he is Jewish, and that he is evangelical.
preferred not to respond, but in conversations with politicians during his appointment process to the court. , who already stated, did not respond.
Mendonça maintains frequent religious activity. He is pastor of the Pinheiros Presbyterian Church, in São Paulo, and was previously pastor of Esperança Presbyterian Church in Brasília.
The minister records the connection on social media profiles, where he also has the habit of publishing excerpts from preaching services he leads. On Instagram, the judge has 35 posts, of which 21 are religious-themed, including videos and messages with reflections and verses.
“I recently learned that they asked: will there be another evangelical in the Supreme Court? I’ve been in the Supreme Court for almost four years and I still have to live with that,” Mendonça said to Sheet. “There is prejudice against evangelicals. All religions can have representation in the Judiciary, but when it comes to evangelicals, this issue arises.”
The minister said that religion guides personal decisions, but applies the law in the STF. “I repeat what I already said when I was nominated: in life, the Bible; in the Supreme Court, the Constitution”, he declared.
Messias is a deacon of a Baptist Church congregation in Brasília. He often uses his speeches and social networks to comment on how the Bible influences his views on the world.
The two names nominated by Lula in the current term, so far, are Catholic. The president’s preference for Messiah has as its main point the relationship of trust between the two, but PT’s allies point out that religion can be useful in reducing resistance in this segment.
In recent times, the religious factor gained prominence when the then president () declared that he would choose one for the STF. He prioritized this criterion when nominating Mendonça for one of the two seats open during his term.
At the end of 2024, the Supreme Court was against the removal of religious symbols in public buildings. The understanding was that maintaining the crucifixes is appropriate because Brazil is Christian and Christianity, especially Catholicism, is part of the country’s cultural formation.
The topic comes up occasionally during court trials. Dino, for example, has religion present in public demonstrations. During his vows, the minister makes several biblical quotes or mentions of the subject.
A few weeks ago, he and Mendonça disagreed about the scope of faith in solving worldly issues during a trial on the fate of conviction amounts in public civil labor actions.
After Mendonça questioned the application of the court’s decision more broadly, Dino stated: “The definitive and total solution is called the Kingdom of God. We agree with that.”
Mendonça reacted: “No. It’s in men’s plans. Here we resolve many things. In these issues of resource allocation, I think it’s up to us, not God.”
Dino also made biblical references in one of the sessions of the coup plot trial, provoking a joke made by Moraes: “Are you a candidate for pope?”
On the eve of assuming the presidency of the court, Fachin asked the . He went to the Vatican to participate in the Jubilee of Justice, an event aimed at legal professionals. On that occasion, he met the pontiff for a greeting.
The trip was arranged with members of the (National Conference of Brazilian Bishops) — with expenses covered by the minister.
Kassio presents himself as a Christian with different positions. “Catholic training, with great admiration for evangelical and Kardecist doctrines”, he said.
Asked if faith influences the construction of his positions in court, he replied: “Only in faith for a better Brazil.”
In 2019, Moraes told Sheet have a broad faith: “I believe in the religion of love, the one that connects us with God and makes us follow Jesus’ greatest teaching: love one another as I have loved you.”
With the departure of Barroso, recognized as a Jew by the Jewish community because he was the son of a Jewish mother, Fux is the only minister of that religion. After being the only one to vote for Bolsonaro’s acquittal for attempted coup d’état, he claimed to have suffered anti-Semitic attacks.
In 2020, when he was presiding over the court, the minister was honored by the Israeli embassy with the Jerusalem Gold Medal, an award for his contribution to strengthening the Brazilian Jewish community and strengthening its relationship with Israel.
Topics directly linked to religion also pass through the court. At the end of 2022, Cármen argued with Mendonça when the minister stated that “religious segments also suffer prejudice”.
Cármen added: “Mainly those of African origin. Not evangelicals, not Catholics. In Brazil, prejudice is against religions of African origin.”
Religious, the minister voted in favor of the Marijuana March, the quota for blacks, same-sex unions and the interruption of pregnancies of anencephalic fetuses.
When speaking in favor, in 2020, of the possibility of differentiating date and time, in competitions, based on religious belief, she stated that “the State separates itself from religion, but human beings do not separate themselves from faith”.
In previous compositions, some ministers preferred to protect their religious options, as was the case with and . The retired minister said, in 2017, in the trial on religious education in public schools, that “religion and faith concern the private domain, not the public. The State must be neutral.”
