The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God responded to lawsuits brought by former pastors who claim to have been forced or pressured by the religious institution to undergo a vasectomy.
The practice, they said, guarantees entrance, stay or ascension in the church. Sterilization is a kind of human resource policy, they said.
Without children, the former pastors say they would be more willing to move to different churches in different cities, as the institution pays for the religious family.
The lawsuits were filed in the Labor Court, in which Universal has already been convicted in different cases. There is also a conviction in the Superior Labor Court.
In the most recent case in a São Paulo court, the Universal Church was found guilty and forced to pay R$ 115,000 (US$ 29,600) in compensation for material and moral damages to former pastor Clarindo de Oliveira, 44.
He served in the religious institution between 1994 and 2010 in temples in Brazil and Honduras.
In the decision published on May 7 of this year, the presiding judge of the case, Silvana Ariano, confirmed that the Universal church practices "vasectomy imposition" by Universal.
For her, sterilization "constitutes a serious violation of the right of the worker to free control over his body."
OTHER SIDE
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God has denied the former pastors' accusations, saying that the cases are exceptions and that it has won victories in most of the lawsuits brought by the pastors.
The church said that "the accusation of vasectomy enforcement is easily disproven by the fact that many bishops and pastors [...] at all levels of church hierarchy have children."
The institution said it "encourages family planning, debated responsibly for each couple. As, for that matter, it is foreseen in our Federal Constitution ".
Regarding statements by former pastors that there is penalty or coercion to those who reject sterilization, the church said that "it is a lie."
Universal also said the church's latest conviction, as well as the others cited in the report, "are exceptions."
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon