What to know about the viral claim about Brazil's patron saint jolting a tight presidential race

RIO DE JANEIRO -- RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida, has become a surprise election issue just days ahead of the Oct. 4 vote. A comment on Jesus by presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro went viral last week and triggered fears among many Catholics that he might intend to remove the patron saint, a widely beloved figure among Brazilians.The son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and main rival against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denies the claim and has called the accusations a “great lie” and “the biggest fake news of the campaign.”The row over Our Lady of Aparecida has propelled religion to the heart of the campaign in Latin America’s biggest country, where around 56.7% of the population is Catholic and 26.9% Evangelical, according to a 2022 census by Brazil’s national statistics agency.Polls show Lula and Bolsonaro in a close race ahead of the election on Sunday. If neither wins an outright majority, a runoff vote will take place on Oct. 25.The AP explains the row and why it matters.In an Aug. 23 video, Sen. Bolsonaro said that he would “declare that Brazil belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.”Some Catholics interpreted that as meaning...