Brazil’s Supreme Court permanently closes inquiry into Father José Eduardo’s suspected link to the 2022 coup plot against Lula’s inauguration.
Newsroom (27/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) The Supreme Federal Court (STF) definitively archived on March 23 the inquiry into the participation of Father José Eduardo de Oliveira e Silva in the attempted coup d’état that sought to prevent the inauguration of then-President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022. Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who presides over several of the high-profile post-election investigations, signed the decision on March 20 — twelve days after the priest’s defense attorney, Miguel Vidigal, formally petitioned for the case’s permanent dismissal.
Father José Eduardo, a parish priest from Osasco in São Paulo, was indicted by the Federal Police (PF) in November 2024. Authorities suspected he had been part of a so-called “legal core,” a group of advisers allegedly responsible for drafting decrees that could serve the interests of those accused of plotting to block Lula’s inauguration. Among others under investigation were former President Jair Bolsonaro, several of his closest advisers, political allies, active and retired military officers, and former ministers of his administration.
Despite this, on February 18 the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) decided not to formally charge Father José Eduardo before the Supreme Federal Court. Without the filing of an indictment, de Moraes’s decision to definitively close the inquiry effectively cleared the priest of all suspicion in connection with the alleged coup plot.
Defense Welcomes Ruling, Questions Process
In a statement to ACI Digital, attorney Miguel Vidigal expressed relief while denouncing what he characterized as a misguided and unjust process.
“It is hoped that the investigation against Father José Eduardo was an outlier for the Brazilian State and that the religious freedoms enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the Brazil-Holy See Agreement (Federal Decree No. 7,107/2010) will be guaranteed by the Judiciary,” Vidigal said. “Had these norms been observed, unfounded and slanderous messages and aggressive statements—both from the media and private individuals who rushed to unjustly accuse the priest of illicit acts—would have been avoided.”
Priest’s Role Described as Pastoral, Not Political
Vidigal reiterated that his client’s activities during visits to Brasília had been purely ministerial. “Father José Eduardo’s defense has always warned the Judiciary and the Federal Police, in charge of the investigation, that the visits made by the priest in Brasília never had a conspiratorial character, but strictly fulfilled what is expected of a Catholic priest: spiritual care and counseling, nothing more than that,” he explained.
He also highlighted the toll the prolonged investigation took on the priest’s personal life and reputation. “The priest’s life was exposed, but he was never indicted for any of the irregularities that were initially attributed to him, yet the Judiciary had not formally closed the investigation,” Vidigal said.
A Broader Context of Political Reckoning
The closure of the case adds another layer to Brazil’s ongoing post-election reckoning, as institutions continue to navigate accountability while reinforcing constitutional guarantees. For Father José Eduardo, the ruling represents not only the end of a lengthy legal ordeal but also a reaffirmation of the principle that religious leaders should not face presumption of guilt absent credible evidence.
By definitively archiving the case, the Supreme Court signaled its intent to separate legitimate political investigation from the protection of individual rights — a delicate line Brazil’s democracy continues to confront in the aftermath of the 2022 election crisis.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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