Brazil's Most Famous Anti-Gay Priest Violently Shoved From Podium During Service (Video)

Rossi has made numerous anti-gay statements throughout his career. In November 1998, he said “a lot of ideas will change the day homosexuality is proven to be an illness”. In a 2014 interview, he said “sex between man causes pain, if something causes pain, it can’t be a good thing”. He has also opposed same-sex marriage.

During a mass service in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 14th July, a woman burst onto the podium and violently shoved Father Marcelo Rossi, an anti-gay priest and one of Brazil’s most famous ministers, off-stage.

The shocking attack was witnessed first-hand by a 50,000-strong congregation, and an untold amount of viewers at home. The priest was apparently unharmed however, returning to the stage minutes later - Rossi, who is also a prolific author and Christian musician with over 11 million sales in Latin America and a radio show with over 3 million listeners nationwide, also refused to press charges.

The unnamed woman drove to the service with her three-year-old son and somehow got through security to rush Rossi on-stage. She claims to have bipolar disorder and has given divergent accounts of her intentions - although after Rossi falls from the podium, she’s seen smiling broadly.

“She said that she wanted to come in to talk to him and she was scared the moment she saw the security guards running after her. It’s her version, but anyone who sees the pictures sees there are none [security guards]. She says she got scared and pushed him at a time when she freaked out, lost control, but she had no intention [of hurting him], she just wanted to talk to him,” Brazilian media has reported.