"By order of the Public Prosecutor's Office, all IURD temples in the national territory are seized and closed, but the sealing process is being carried out gradually," said the source, adding that there are 211 temples in the capital alone.
The IURD in Angola declared itself "surprised" with the order to close four of its temples during the service, adding that none of them were in the batch of seven buildings seized by the Attorney General's Office in August and classified the police operation as " disproportionate and excessive ".
Speaking to Lusa, a police source said that the temples are seized and will be closed. "Therefore, while the process is taking place, they cannot hold services," said the same source, adding that "so that no further doubts are raised about the matter, the parties will be notified in the next few days to clarify the situation."
This is the first weekend that religious services in Luanda have resumed since March, when the state of emergency was declared due to the covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement sent to Lusa, the IURD said that it was "surprised" by the arrival of the police at the Kilamba, Estalagem, Km 30 and Samba temples, and that their closure was decreed, despite the fact that the agents are not "armed with any mandate. or supporting documentation ".
The IURD claimed that the police acted "in a truculent and excessive manner, surrounding members and faithful who, at the time, were exercising their right to freedom of worship" and underlines that there was no legal impediment or judicial mandate to prevent worship in those temples , "because they were not arrested or sealed by the Attorney General's Office (PGR)".
In August, the PGR seized seven IURD temples in Luanda (Alvalade, Maculusso, Morro Bento, Patriota, Benfica, Cazenga and Viana), as part of a criminal case for alleged practices of crimes of criminal association, tax fraud and exports illicit capital.
The IURD points out, in the same statement, that some bishops and pastors were taken to a police station without knowing "the real reason for such an act", having been released after making statements.
According to the IURD, the agents will only have informed "that there was an 'orientation' that Universal's temples should not be open" and, therefore, would be "in disobedience".
The IURD has been involved in several controversies in Angola, after a group of dissidents left the Brazilian leadership in November last year.
Tensions intensified in June with the takeover of temples by the reformist wing, meanwhile constituted in a Commission for the Reform of Angolan Pastors, with an exchange of mutual accusations regarding the practice of illegal acts.
Angolans, led by Bishop Valente Bezerra, affirm that the decision to break with Brazilian representation in Angola, led by Bishop Honorilton Gonçalves, faithful to the founder Edir Macedo, was due to practices contrary to religion, such as the requirement to practice vasectomy, chemical castration, racism practices, social discrimination, abuse of authority, in addition to foreign exchange evasion.
The allegations are denied by IURD Angola, which in turn accuses dissidents of "xenophobic attacks" and assaults on pastors and has also initiated legal proceedings against dissidents.
IURD Angola previously accused the Angolan judicial authorities of having made illegal apprehensions and undermining religious freedom.
At the moment, several legal proceedings related to IURD Angola are underway in the Angolan courts.
The conflict gave rise to the opening of criminal cases in the PGR of Angola and rose to the diplomatic sphere, with the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, asking his counterpart João Lourenço for guarantees of protection of Brazilian pastors and of the Church's heritage, with the chief of State promised an "appropriate treatment" of the matter in court.
