Brazilian Justice Stops Opening of Lucifer’s Temple

(ANSA) – SAO PAULO, AUGUST 14 – A civil court in Rio Grande do Sul has suspended the inauguration of a temple dedicated to Lucifer in Brazil, the country with the world’s largest Catholic population. The site was to be inaugurated this week in Gravataí, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, with a huge statue of the winged demon five meters high and weighing more than a ton, costing over six thousand euros (35 thousand real). However, the court prevented the opening, at the request of the municipality, because the temple had not presented an operating license and a fire prevention plan, but also because of possible negative repercussions. The initiative has in fact unleashed a hornet’s nest of controversy. The project belongs to the New Order of Lucifer on Earth, a branch of the Afro-Brazilian religion Quimbanda (the other two forms are Umbanda and Candomblé) and in case of non-compliance, those responsible will have to pay a fine of over eight thousand euros per day (50 thousand real). The founder of the sanctuary, Lukas de Bará da Rua, said he was the target of “religious intolerance” and had filed an appeal. “It was just going to be an area for meetings, it’s a rural property, we didn’t have time to proceed with the paperwork because the town hall told us very clearly that it would be difficult to get permits. Why can’t I gather my friends to talk about religion?” he said, according to G1. The organization meets twice a month and has 100 members across Brazil, including 80 in Rio Grande do Sul. (ANSA).