"[There is] so much talk about conciliation, but this reconciliation never took place due to irregularities in the agreement of Bishop Alberto Segunda [current leader of IRDA, new denomination of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD)] and irregularities also by Mr. Filipe Zau, Minister of Culture", said Valente Bizerra Luís this Wednesday in an interview with Lusa.
According to the religious man, who contests the executive decree that approved the Church of the Kingdom of God in Angola (IRDA), as the new denomination of the IURD, the National Institute of Religious Affairs (INAR) also committed "irregularities" for having legitimized the leadership of Alberto Segunda, "since he did not comply with the conciliation agreement".
The new name was recognized in March by the Government, in an executive decree signed by minister Filipe Zau, which also determines the transfer of all assets to IRDA, a document contested by dissidents due to alleged "vices" in favor of Alberto Segunda.
In a letter of complaint and protest, sent to the Minister of Culture and to which Lusa had access this Wednesday, Valente Bizerra Luís regrets that INAR never informed the IURD about the progress and existence of the process of changing the name of the church.
For Bishop Valente Bizerra Luís, this position favors Bishop Edir Macedo, founder of the IURD, "to continue to humiliate and enslave Angolans", regretting that Alberto Segunda has received "express partisan political support".
The leader of the "reformist" wing also condemned the "illegal detention" of more than 30 IURD pastors and workers, on Sunday, in Luanda, following the reopening of the temples by the IRDA leadership, stating that they "intended to participate in the cult" and were "attacked and dragged in the most inhumane manner".
"The detention was illegal, so much so that we made a public complaint about this matter", he stressed.
Regarding the reopening of the temples, the bishop of the so-called "Angolan" wing said that this "is not permanent", having challenged the minutes of the meeting held by Bishop Alberto Segunda, stating that the "process is ongoing".
"We also wrote to the Ministry of Culture for rectification [of the executive decree] and we also imposed the hierarchical appeal [impegnation of the administrative act]", concluded the person in charge.
Speaking to Lusa, on Tuesday, the current leader of the Church of the Kingdom of God in Angola said that his leadership was "legitimized in an assembly of believers".
Alberto Segunda recalled that the conciliation agreement between the opposing parties – the Brazilian wing led by him and the Angolan wing, presided over by Bishop Valente Bizerra Luís – was mediated by the State and signed by both parties.
"We took the people to the polls to determine who would be the leader of the IURD in Angola, on January 14th, within the conciliation agreement", he recalled, adding that "the other side did not participate because they understood that it would not have to be the people to choose their leader".
The official stated that his leadership was legitimized unanimously in an assembly where 44,000 faithful were able to vote and whose results were recognized by the National Institute for Religious Affairs.
