Devoção do Senhor do Bonfim does not accept intervention and wants to go to court

Until the kingdom of Israel was unified, King David faced an arduous road to appease 12 different tribes, as the biblical story tells. In Salvador today, a new name has emerged to unite Catholics with opposing opinions, it is Father Abel Pinheiro, 66, appointed intervenor of the Devotion of Senhor Bom Jesus do Bonfim. The mission is arduous, the religious arrives with the aim of calming the spirits of the brotherhood, which is divided between supporters of Father Edson, rector of the Basilica of Bonfim, and critics of the priest’s 16-year tenure. The intervention was decreed by Cardinal Dom Sergio da Rocha, Archbishop of Salvador, on Thursday (2), three months after the conflict between Edson Menezes and the then judge of devotion, Jorge Nunes Contreiras, became public. The split at the board of directors of the brotherhood, however, has been formed since January, when there were conflicts over the organization of the feast of Senhor do Bonfim. Just like King David, Abel Pinheiro will need to do his best to restore peace among Catholics, since the devotion intends to file a lawsuit against the archdiocese to guarantee the leadership of the Church. Eduardo Carreira, brother of the devotion, estimates that Edson Menezes earns R$50,000 a month. The value would be the result of collections of donations on Fridays and half of what is collected in the side coffers of the Church. If he agreed to have his portfolio signed, Menezes would receive the equivalent of four minimum wages. “The devotion is autonomous in its administrative acts and the archdiocese only intervenes in cases pertaining to ecclesiastical problems. This decree is an aberration to the right to property and goes against the Brazilian Civil Code and the Constitution”, argues Eduardo Carreira, who is a lawyer. Late Friday afternoon (4), he and about 15 members of the devotion, contrary to Father Edson Menezes, met to discuss the measures that will be taken. Until then, everything indicates that Justice will be triggered. Faced with the imbroglio, which does not match the message of peace that the Catholic Church wants to convey to the faithful, Dom Sergio da Rocha opted to dissolve the board of directors, formed by 33 members. In practice, Abel Pinheiro will have 180 days to guarantee a new election of the members of the brotherhood. During this period, the intervenor is authorized to hire and dismiss employees, sign contracts, in addition to being the new manager of Bom Samaritano – a social project managed until then by Menezes. The internal regiment of the devotion provides that its members are responsible for the administration and expansion of the project, which is not put into practice, according to Eduardo Carreira. With the intervention, Father Edson Menezes leaves the position of chaplain of the devotion of Senhor do Bonfim, but continues as rector of the Basilica, being able to celebrate masses and perform confessions. He was searched through his personal phone, but he did not return contact attempts. In a note, the Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia states that the intervention was decreed after “all possibilities of understanding for the end of the conflicts” were exhausted. Shortly after the nomination, Abel Pinheiro met with the rector of the basilica and the deposed judge, separately, and should announce the names that will compose the Mediation Commission next week. The group will be responsible for reforming the Statute and Internal Regulations of the church, according to the intervention decree, which CORREIO had access to. However, the main function of the priest, according to him, is to restore peace among the faithful. “I will ensure that devotion enters into communion with the archdiocese, always through dialogue and respect so that we can re-establish a communication channel. I will also accompany the economic council of the basilica and manage the work of the Bom Samaritano project”, says Abel Pinheiro. He, who has been a priest for 42 years, will be divided between the role of intervenor and parish priest of the Basilica Cathedral, located in Pelourinho. Businessman Jorge Nunes Contreiras, deposed as judge of devotion, did not attend the meeting on Friday (4) due to health problems, according to colleagues opposed to Father Edson Menezes. In a telephone interview with the report, Nunes said he was not surprised by the decision of the archbishop of Salvador. “As a judge, I did my part, and the opposition is more from the group than from me. I already expected the intervention because it was something that was affecting the whole group, I talked a lot with everyone in the devotion”, he says. Since January of this year, Father Edson Menezes, 65, from the Basilica of Senhor do Bonfim, claims to be the target of “persecution” by the Devotion of Senhor Bom Jesus do Bonfim. In May, the dispute became public and there were reactions from both sides: a demonstration in defense of the priest and the scheduling of an extraordinary meeting. The first fights were motivated by disagreements during the preparations for this year’s Bonfim party, with attempts by the Brotherhood to interfere in the program, organized 16 years ago by Father Edson. A meeting was scheduled to decide on “changes of powers” instituted to Father Edson Menezes, but it did not happen. The part of the devotion opposed to the priest disagrees with how the church’s financial resources are managed and demands that Menezes agree to have his work card signed, as provided for in the bylaws. The group also wants to limit the receipt of financial collections from the rector of the Bonfim Basilica. Even with the intervention in place, the end of this story, which is similar to the difficulties faced by King David, seems to be far from over.