The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) demanded explanations on Thursday (September 10) for the crisis involving the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), the Federal Police and other institutions of the republic. In an official message, the body that gathers Brazil's Catholic bishops said any possible wrongdoing must be investigated with independence, transparency and respect for constitutional guarantees, and summed up its position in one phrase: "justice without privileges".
The crisis stems from a dispute inside the Supreme Court itself over sealed files from investigations tied to the so-called Master case, a banking scandal, which include private conversations between justices. Justice André Mendonça lifted the seal on part of the material, and the justices remain divided over what else to release and how the court should judge the case, according to news site g1.
In the document, the CNBB said the moment demands "serenity, responsibility and clear institutional responses" and called on "the branches of the republic, their authorities and all of society" to clarify the facts, according to the newspaper Correio Braziliense. "The independence and balance between the branches are indispensable conditions for the preservation of justice, liberty and social peace," the text reads.
'No one can be above the law'
"No one can be above the law, just as no one should be condemned beforehand without being assured the right of defense and the constitutional guarantees."
The bishops said defending democratic institutions is no reason to block investigations. In their view, the credibility of institutions grows when the facts are examined independently, impartially and transparently. The conference asked that questions of great institutional weight be decided by the full court in public, collegiate sessions, so society can follow the proceedings and read the reasoning behind each ruling. It also urged the STF to move forward with a code of ethics now under preparation, meant to strengthen ethical responsibility, prevent conflicts of interest and set clear standards of conduct.
An election-year message
The message arrives in the middle of Brazil's 2026 election campaign. According to g1, the CNBB said institutional crises must not be used to deepen public distrust or serve partisan interests, and defended conditions for free and reliable elections. "Legitimate divergences cannot feed generalized distrust in institutions," the bishops said. The Correio Braziliense column adds that the Workers' Party plans to press its long-standing proposal to overhaul the judiciary, including fixed terms for judges on the higher courts.
The message was signed by CNBB president Dom Jaime Spengler, the archbishop of Porto Alegre, by the two vice presidents and by the secretary-general of the conference. The next step belongs to the court: the justices still have to settle what more will be disclosed and how the case will be tried, under growing pressure for open plenary sessions.
In its closing lines, the CNBB wrote that "Brazil needs truth without manipulation, justice without privileges, institutions that serve the common good, lucidity and peace". It added: "The truth does not weaken institutions. When sought with justice, transparency, humility and respect for the law, it strengthens them and strengthens democracy itself."