Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Church’ which blames demons for headaches to set up in Northern Ireland
Group caught up in child abuse and baby kidnap scandals
A CONTROVERSIAL church regarded by some as a “cult” is coming to Belfast after receiving planning permission for a place of worship in the city.
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which is banned in several countries, will be establishing itself in Equality House in the Donegall Pass area.
Founded in Brazil in 1977 by self-styled Bishop Edir Macedo, the organisation has around 12 million members in 200 countries.
However, over the years it has also been involved in several controversies.
The church places a strong emphasis on money and employs “tithing”, a practice whereby members of their congregation donate a fraction of their income to the church.
Its website states: “The tithe is 10% of all income, and it belongs to God. This is a very ancient practice followed by God-fearing people everywhere.”
This belief has led to accusations of charlatanism against the church and, according to Forbes magazine, has also made Bishop Edir Macedo a billionaire.
The UCKG was previously banned by the Zambian government after allegations it was involved in “satanic rituals”.
In 1997 the Advertising Standards Authority axed a church poster that claimed: “Constant headaches, depression, insomnia, fears, bad luck, strange diseases… These are just a few symptoms caused by demons.”
In 2009 another poster was banned for claiming “blessed oil” could cure heart problems.
And it isn’t just financial or advertising standards issues the UCKG has found itself in hot water over.
The UCKG has several “Help Centres” in England, where it is registered as a charity with an annual income of £15million and a small presence in the Republic. However, it has no permanent base in Northern Ireland.
Almost 20 years ago, the church fell into controversy after the death of Victoria Climbie in London, in what is still regarded as one of the UK’S worst abuse cases. The eight-year-old was taken to a UCKG centre in February 2000 for an “exorcism” by her great-aunt Marie Therese Kouao.
The pastor, Alvaro Lima, suspected the child was being abused but he took no action.
Kouao was found guilty of Victoria’s murder in January 2001.
The church was cleared of any wrongdoing but the Charity Commission recommended the UCKG implement child protection policies in the future.
In December 2017, Portugal’s Attorney General’s Office opened an inquiry into the alleged illegal adoption of babies arranged by a centre run by the UCKG. A seven-month inquiry by a TV station alleged at least 10 Portuguese children were stolen from their biological mothers in the 1990s from a church reception centre in Lisbon.
Allegedly, the babies were taken from Portugal and adopted by couples based overseas.
The Attorney General’s Office has stated “there is an investigation related to this matter and it has been referred to the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action of Lisbon for investigation.”
The inquiry is ongoing.
Denying these allegations, the church says any such claims are the result of a “defamatory campaign of lies”.