The priest has been receiving money from Alego for 20 years without working.
Luiz Augusto Ferreira, one of the most famous and charismatic priests in Goiânia, has been on leave from the Legislative Assembly for 20 years and receives a salary of R$ 12 per month; the case was revealed in an article in the newspaper O Popular; the priest claims he kept his job because he needed the state health plan to help other people; Luiz also says he tried to resign several times, but his wish was not granted; Father Luiz doesn't mind confirming that he doesn't work and says he has never handled the money he receives from the Legislative Assembly; "This money doesn't influence my life. I am an honest, calm person, people know me. By choice, I don't receive a salary from the church. If I need a pair of pants, I receive a donation."
Goiás 247 - Father Luiz Augusto Ferreira, one of the most famous and beloved priests in the capital and responsible for the Santa Teresinha do Menino Jesus Church in Aparecida de Goiânia, has been an employee of the Legislative Assembly for 20 years and receives a gross salary of R$ 11,8 without having to work at the Assembly.
The case was revealed in an article by journalist Márcia Abreu in the newspaper O Popular this Thursday. The priest claims to have been on leave from the Assembly since 1995, when he was ordained, and doesn't mind confirming that he doesn't work. Father Luiz's parliamentary life is shrouded in mystery, and the House's most senior employees avoid commenting on the matter.
The president of the Legislative Assembly of Goiás (Alego), Representative Helio de Sousa, dodged the question and said he will not be held responsible for the previous administration. The Assembly's regulations stipulate a maximum of four years of leave, renewable for another four years.
Luiz Augusto's justification for remaining in the position for so long is that he can use the state health plan, Ipasgo. The priest says he doesn't know how much money he has in his account and has never touched his salary. With the salary accumulated over so many years, he reveals his desire to build a center for the treatment of drug addicts.
In an interview with the newspaper O Popular, the priest says that he often tried to resign, but his wishes were not granted. “I spoke with people responsible for the management of the House and they all said that my work is special and that it concerns the State itself.” Luiz Augusto Ferreira has been a permanent employee since March 1980, when he joined the House through a recommendation. Since 1995, the year he was ordained a priest, he has been absent from the Assembly due to the difficulties he would have in reconciling his work with his religious duties.
Finally, Luiz explains that he lives a simple life without ostentation. "This money doesn't influence my life. I'm an honest, calm person, people know me. By choice, I don't receive a salary from the church. If I need pants, I receive a donation. The same goes for a shirt. I don't use a cent from the parish, I don't have a car, I don't have a cell phone. I get around by hitchhiking. The only thing I use for my own benefit is Ipasgo [a health insurance plan], that's the salary I use."