The Roman Catholic Church has excommunicated the popular Brazilian priest Father Roberto Francisco Daniel for teaching that same-sex marriage is OK.

Reuters reported that the church decided to impose on Daniel the rare punishment because he has "injured the Church with grave statements counter to the dogma of Catholic faith and morality."

Excommunication, or expulsion from the church, bars a believer from participating in the liturgy in a ministerial capacity, but encourages the guilty party to work toward restoring their relationship with the church. more >>

The son of charismatic Christian evangelist Benny Hinn was detained along with two bodyguards employed by the ministry for allegedly assaulting a deaf and dumb man during an evangelistic event in Manaus, Brazil.

The Daily Mail reported Monday that 21-year-old Joshua Hinn, Caleb Shirk, 26, and Konstantins Konstantinovs, 34, apprehended Hestephenson Araujo as he approached minister Hinn during his sermon with a bottle of water. Araujo had reportedly attended the miracle healing crusade on Saturday at the Provos da Amazonia arena in hopes of getting a blessing from Hinn, who claims to have an "anointing," or special power from God, that gives him the supernatural ability to heal people.

Hinn, Shirk and Konstantins allegedly grabbed Araujo, 21, whom they thought was going to throw water at the minister. They are accused of taking the deaf and dumb man to a trailer where they interrogated and beat him, the Daily Mail reports. Araujo was eventually rescued by police, who had been called to the arena by "concerned members of the public." more >>

A federal persecutor in Brazil is urging the country to force the central bank to change the phrase "God be praised" on all paper bills, arguing that the motto violates the rights of non-Christians and unbelievers.

"The Brazilian state is secular and, as such, should be completely detached from any religious manifestation," said Jefferson Aparecido Dias of Sao Paulo while submitting a 17-page motion.

The Brazilian currency has held the phrase "Deus Seja Louvado," or "God be Praised," since 1986, The New York Times reported. more >>

One of Brazil's most popular pop singers, Father Marcelo Rossi of Mother of God church, has opened a massive new Roman Catholic sanctuary that can hold up to 80,000 people for Mass, hoping that he will continue the growth of the religion in the Latin America country.

"They couldn't all fit in. There was a crowd that had to stand outside! That's a sign we're on the right path, and it's this sanctuary," 45-year old Rossi said at the event in Sao Paulo, one of Brazil's biggest cities.

Although the sanctuary is not yet completed and might be several years way from being finished, Friday's event attracted up to 50,000 people. The Roman Catholic Church has been trying hard in recent times to reverse a national trend of declining membership – in a 2010 poll, 65 percent of the 192 million population identified as Catholic, almost a 10 percent drop from the 2000 census where 74 percent said that they belong to the faith. more >>

The two-day Evangelistic Crusade Victorious Life For You has drawn an impressive crowd in Brazil. The event is in its 16th year and according to organizers more than 650,000 attended the event this year in Ponta Negra Beach, Amazonas state in the northwest of Brazil.

Well-known televangelist Pastor Silas Malafaia, who led the event, preached the message "God is in control" and "How to be a complete person," leading nearly 11,000 to commit their lives to Christ over Aug. 25-26, 2012.

"I was spiritually weak, but from now on I want to have a change in my life," said one attendee, Naicson Costa de Souza, who had drifted away from the church but has now decided to return, according to Malafaia's Victory in Christ Church website. more >>

A Brazilian psychologist is being threatened with having her license to practice therapy revoked after she publicly affirmed her Christian beliefs on her blog and Twitter accounts, which is in conflict with the countries Federal Council of Psychology's (CFP) code of ethics.

Marisa Lobo is a widely respected psychologist and evangelical who routinely comments on psychological issues affecting society today. She posts messages to her Twitter account as well as to her website under the title "Christian Psychology."

Lobo's posts often deal with denunciations of homosexual adoption, and her support for sexual orientation change therapy, which routinely differ from the progressive left in Brazil and the CFP. more >>