Leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva assured Brazil's Evangelical Christians that he would not restrict religious freedoms if he is elected on Oct. 2, and praised the dedication to their beliefs.
In a public letter to Brazilian Evangelicals, Lula said he was personally opposed to legalizing abortion and his government would leave that issue for Congress to decide.
Lula said his message, coming less than two weeks from a second-round runoff against far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, was prompted by campaign lies spread by his rival that warn voters that a Lula government would close churches and curtail religious freedoms.
"My government will not adopt any policies that hurt religious liberty or create obstacles for churches to function freely," he said.
Brazil's presidential race has narrowed to a 4-percentage-point gap between leftist front-runner Lula and the incumbent Bolsonaro, and they are now statistically tied, according to a poll published on Wednesday.
Lula said the use of religious beliefs for political gain in the election campaign was a "sad scandal" and he vowed never to use religion politically or violate the separation of church from state.
His adversary Bolsonaro has strong backing from Brazil's fast-growing Evangelical churches due to his conservative agenda based on pro-life and family values, and rejection of gay marriage and the legalization of drugs.
With one in four Brazilians believed to be Evangelical today in this predominantly Catholic country, a recent poll by PoderData said 62% of evangelical voters are for Bolsonaro, and only 38% back Lula, who has the support of 51% of Catholics.
Lula, who governed Brazil from 2003-2010, said he always maintained absolute respect for religious freedom during his eight years as president, passing laws and decrees protecting religious diversity.
"The Brazilian people know that I took care, with special affection, of the poorest and, with God's blessings, my government contributed to improve the lives of millions of families," the former president said.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Richard Pullin)
