# Catholic Church pastoral and ritual practices in Brazil > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-church-pastoral-and-ritual-practices-in-brazil > Updated: 2026-08-31T16:54:11.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. The Catholic Church in Brazil is implementing various protocols and assemblies focused on spiritual practice and pastoral care. In the Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and the Diocese of Caxias do Sul, specific procedures for exorcism have been established. These protocols require Vatican authorization and mandatory medical and psychiatric evaluations to ensure that spiritual intervention is only used when medical causes for issues like depression or addiction have been ruled out. Concurrently, regional dioceses are holding meetings to address spiritual and physical well-being. The Archdiocese of Ribeirão Preto conducted a pastoral assembly focused on synodal spirituality and evangelization guidelines. Meanwhile, the Diocese of Osasco held a health ministry meeting centered on the theme of compassion, combining spiritual training with medical presentations on disease prevention. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-31: Catholic dioceses in Brazil hold regional pastoral and health meetings Catholic dioceses in Brazil held regional assemblies: Ribeirão Preto focused on synodal pastoral guidelines, while Osasco hosted a health ministry meeting centered on compassion and disease prevention. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-dioceses-in-brazil-hold-regional-pastoral-and-health-meetings ### 2026-08-23: Catholic Church in Brazil utilizes medical screening for authorized exorcisms Catholic priests in Brazil, including 17 in Rio de Janeiro, perform authorized exorcisms following strict Vatican guidelines that require prior evaluation by medical and mental health professionals. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-church-in-brazil-utilizes-medical-screening-for-authorized-exorcisms --- Cite as: Catholic Church pastoral and ritual practices in Brazil. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-church-pastoral-and-ritual-practices-in-brazil