On October 10, 2019, the Heralds of the Gospel were sought by Carta Capital magazine and, for 45 minutes, answered some questions brought by reporter Thais Reis Oliveira. The interview was carried out at the Mother House of the Heralds of the Gospel and was attended by Fr. Alex Barbosa de Brito, member of the Virgo Flos Carmeli Clerical Society of Apostolic Life and spiritual assistant to the Heralds of the Gospel.
The interviewer of Carta Capital magazine addressed the theme of false accusations made against the Heralds of the Gospel.
Watch the response in the video below:
Summary
To answer, the priest began by raising a question:
"Why doesn't the media disclose, for example, the last issue of Heralds magazine, in which an article was published – written by parents – titled 'Our children are in good hands', showing that there are hundreds of parents who support their children and are not interviewed?
The most affected by this campaign of defamation are those benefited by the social action developed by the Heralds of the Gospel, the priest points out:
"Only in Cantareira are 50,000 people in the parish; almost 500 children and adolescents are treated materially." In other words, there are priests who respond spiritually to hospitals in São Paulo, missionaries who travel through Brazil from spiritual and material assistance to those who need it."
It increasingly transpires the existence of a "visibly orchestrated group" that aims to defame the Catholic Church and the Heralds of the Gospel, as seen by false complaints, through which a process of libelous denunciation began, Fr. P. Alex.
The reporter, Thais Reis, asked if there was any kind of reprisal from the public authorities or whether the notifications were leaving members, to which the priest replied:
"The institution defended itself against defamation through criminal co[1]mplaints, which are filed."
On the other hand, those persons who have libelously denounced a member of the institution to the government, if they do not support the complaint with evidence, or if such evidence put under the investigation of the government is recognized as false, the complaint will turn against the whistleblower. In this case, "the government will know what action to take."
[1]Petition with which a case is initiated for offense.