Bishop of Sete Lagoas bans alcohol and bingo at religious festivals in the diocese.

Bishop Francisco Cota de Oliveira, of the Diocese of Sete Lagoas (MG), has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, as well as bingo games and raffles with cash prizes at religious festivals in his diocese. The measures were established in two decrees signed by the bishop.

According to Gazeta do Povo, the new rules cover recreational events, fundraising activities, and any raffle held during parish celebrations. Cota justified the prohibitions based on official documents from the Catholic Church and Brazilian legislation.

To justify the ban on alcohol, the bishop invoked the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Document 100 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB). The CNBB document states that "the sale and consumption of alcohol at patron saint festivals and other religious events contrasts with the Church's efforts to combat drug abuse" and points to "an urgent need for conversion of parish communities to avoid the counter-witness of promoting alcohol consumption in stalls and other community recreational activities."

Cota also cited Pope Francis' encyclical Amoris Laetitia, which "considers drug addiction as one of the scourges of our time; one that causes suffering to many families and, not infrequently, ends up destroying them." In his decree, the bishop stated that "it is the mission of the Church to exhort the faithful to bear witness to virtues and avoid vices" and that "the virtue of temperance disposes one to avoid all kinds of excess, including alcohol abuse."

Bingo games and raffles are under scrutiny by the diocese.

In the second decree, Cota banned bingo and raffles with cash prizes, arguing that they "tend to lead people to addiction in various forms of gambling and betting." The bishop also based the measure on Document 114 of the CNBB (National Conference of Brazilian Bishops), which warns against gambling addiction and acknowledges that it "causes great suffering and indebtedness in countless families and in society."

The decree also points to a legal basis for the prohibition; the bishop highlighted that, “under current legislation, conducting unauthorized raffles and running bingo games constitute criminal offenses,” according to articles 50 and 51 of Law 3.688/41. Amoris Laetitia was also cited in the second decree, for addressing “gambling and other vices as scourges of our time that cause suffering to many families and, not infrequently, end up destroying them.”

Cota pointed to alternative sources of funding for the parishes. According to the bishop, "tithe offerings and spontaneous contributions from the faithful are the appropriate means for the financial maintenance of the Church." If it is necessary to hold a fundraising campaign with prizes, the decree stipulates that "the prizes should consist of small gifts and household items."