Minister André Mendonça of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) has been supported by evangelical leaders and right-wing politicians after facing a crisis at the court. Nearly five years after being appointed as "terribly evangelical," a requirement from then-president Jair Bolsonaro, Mendonça is now pointed to as "the anointed one" who will be able to face challenges based on "God's support," according to these leaders. The magistrate is a Presbyterian pastor and uses videos directed at evangelicals that are shown during worship services, which earned him over 1 million followers on Instagram in a week.
The Master case also affects presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), a member of the same party as his father. The right saw in the clash between Mendonça and Minister Alexandre de Moraes a way to transform the internal dispute at the STF into a "good versus evil" scenario, using religious discourse as the foundation for this political narrative.
Minister Edson Fachin, the case rapporteur, granted 72 hours for Mendonça to respond to the request from the Attorney General's Office (AGU). The crisis involving the STF minister occurs amid tensions within the court itself and in the broader political landscape, with the right mobilizing popular support around Mendonça's figure.
