Walace Lara, a reporter for TV Globo, in an interview recorded on October 19, 2019, asked about the existence, in the Heralds of the Gospel, of the "chapters", where – according to reports from former members – there would be humiliation and psychological abuse, with people being – including teenagers – prosterned to the ground. The Ep. Alex Barbosa de Brito clarified that the "chapters of absences" are only a practice of fraternal correction, exclusively in relation to people of age, often requested by the person himself, and always performed with great respect.
Watch the full response of the Heralds.
Summary
The Ep. Alex Barbosa de Brito made a distinction between the "General Chapter", where the chapter members of an institution meet to decide important issues, and the "chapter of absences": an act of the institution's internal life, in which only larger people participate in age, with the aim of pointing out certain irregularities in community life to lead them to perfection. This practice of fraternal correction, however, is never a reason for vexation, but of help in the practice of virtues, always carried out with great respect.
As for adolescents, there may be "a warning, as any teacher can give, but always within the limits of christian cordiality, law and limits."
Already about supposed humiliations at the fact that people were prosterned, Mother Mariana Morazzani Arráiz noted that even priests bow ed before they were ordained.
Having the reporter again insisted on the fact that this practice is done with teenagers, Fr. Alex reiterated that the statement is not in conformity with reality, and that if anyone wanted to declare it, they should present evidence.
Finally, Mother Mariana explained that the "chapter of faults" is not something feared by members, but that, on the contrary, young women often ask her to be capitulated, by the desire to improve through fraternal correction. It is opportune, only the requests of persons of older people are met.