The revelation that the senator had about his father fell like a bucket of cold water among evangelical leaders who, behind the scenes, had already been showing limited enthusiasm with their pre-candidacy for the Presidency.
In Aliança, a WhatsApp group that brings together pastors across the country, the atmosphere has soured since reports surfaced that the production of a film in which actor Jim Caviezel (Jesus from “The Passion of the Christ”) plays (). Of a planned amount of , at least R$61 million was transferred, and Flávio went in search of more resources.
The audio of the conversation outraged pastors. Publicly, they talk about waiting for developments in the case. Behind the scenes, however, a wing already defends migrating its support to the former governor of Goiás (PSD). The Minas Gerais (New) is less exciting, but is not discarded.
The irritation was less due to the request for money itself and more due to the context and the lack of transparency attributed to someone who positions himself as the political heir of Bolsonarism. Until then, .
The revelation rekindled a suspicion that already surrounded much of the leadership: that the former president’s firstborn son did not automatically inherit his father’s political capital nor his organic connection with the religious base.
The Aliança works as a thermometer for the political moods of this evangelical summit. The group includes names such as Renê Terra Nova, Estevam Hernandes, Robson Rodovalho and Abner Ferreira, all leaders with political experience.
The biggest concern now is to remain by Flávio’s side, “because there is doubt about what could happen further on”, said a leader privately. New reports are treated as probable.
Many had not yet declared public endorsement of the senator. They even intended to do so later, but any movement in that direction is suspended for now. An influential pastor even deleted a recent post in support of Flávio shortly after the case gained repercussions.
The group discussed alternatives to face (PT) as soon as the audio began circulating, on Wednesday (13). Caiado’s name returned to the circle. They also lamented the unfeasibility of a double with (Republicanos-SP) at the head of the ticket and the former first lady in vice. The electoral rule does not allow, at this point, the governor to seek a position different from the one he already occupies.
A ticket led by Michelle, although envisioned by some, would first have to face family barriers. for none of the pastors.
The perception is that the episode with Vorcaro reached a sensitive point precisely because it occurs at a time when the conservative camp is trying to reorganize its succession for 2026 while Bolsonaro remains ineligible. Flávio would not be, in the opinion of most of these leaders, the ideal presidential candidate, as he carries too many liabilities with him.
“It’s still hazy,” admits Bishop Robson Rodovalho, from the Sara Nossa Terra church.
He doesn’t see any problems with the saucer passing itself. “In the audio, Flávio is making a sponsorship request to a bank. More than natural, without any compensation, at least nothing known so far. We will have to wait for developments.”
Rodovalho recognizes, however, that the episode has already had a negative effect. “Right now things are on hold, awaiting more information. But it is already known that it has a significant political impact.”
The biblical tone also appeared. The apostle Caesar Augustus, from the Fonte da Vida church, sent the reporter a verse from the Gospel of Luke: “There is nothing hidden that will not be discovered, or what is hidden that will not be known.”
“The time is to wait,” he wrote. “Everything that is hidden will be revealed. The CPI is the legal instrument to bring to light what is hidden.”
Pastor Silas Malafaia, from the Assembly of God Vitória em Cristo, said he intended to publish a video on the topic this Thursday (15). He resisted embarking on Flávio’s candidacy, skeptical of the presidential project. I didn’t see the senator as having the “muscle” to sustain the dispute.
held on the 3rd, a gesture read as a nod to the candidacy.
Pastor Teo Hayashi, from Zion Church, said he saw no irregularity in seeking private sponsorship. He recalled that Vorcaro also financed productions linked to other political fields, including films about Lula and Michel Temer (MDB), .
For Hayashi, the central problem was another: omission. “What do I think is the problem? It’s the fact that he didn’t open the relationship with Vorcaro, once he was a candidate. And, if you look at the timeline, the moment he asks for sponsorship there is already a suspicion being raised [sobre o dono do Master].”
Bottom line: the episode causes political and economic stress, says the pastor, at the head of Dunamis, an evangelization movement in universities, and The Send, a missionary festival that has joked about being the “believer’s Lollapalooza”.
“The commitment of the church and the Christian people is to values, more than to people. Anyone caught with dirty money does not have our support, regardless of party, surname or political side,” he stated.
