International seminar in Coimbra discusses Religious Freedom, Public Health and the Use of Hoasca Tea within Religious Contexts

| June 18th, 2025

Leonardo Pauperio*
André Fagundes**

The UDV began its work in Europe in 1993. Today, there are approximately 360 members in the seven Núcleos and Authorized Distributions of Vegetal (DAVs) throughout Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy. In May 2023, the Sessions with Vegetal were suspended by the General Representation of the Center, due to negotiations with the government of Portugal and other countries. The UDV is committed to respecting the laws of the country – which applies to any territory where it is developing its work. In this context, the Coimbra International Seminar on Religious Freedom and the Use of Hoasca Tea is an important step forward in the current landscape that sheds light on the period experienced by the brothers and sisters in those locations.

The University of Coimbra was founded in Portugal in the year 1290 and is one of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in Europe. On May 9th, 2025, it hosted the International Seminar for “Religious Freedom, Public Health and the Use of Hoasca Tea within Religious Contexts”.

Organized by the Faculty of Law and the Center for Biomedical Law of the University of Coimbra, and in partnership with the Beneficent Spiritist Center União do Vegetal, the event brought together nearly 60 participants, including academics, attorneys, health professionals and authorities from Portugal, Brazil, Switzerland and the United States, in addition to 70 people who participated remotely (online).

The main objective of the seminar was to promote a qualified space for reflection on the legal, medical-scientific and regulatory challenges involving the religious use of Hoasca tea.

The program included three thematic panels and the participation of twelve speakers, eight of whom are members of the UDV, namely: Mestre Clovis Cavalieri (General Assistant Mestre Responsible for the International Field), Mestre Edison Saraiva Neves (General Assistant Mestre), Mestre Maurício Divisati Otaviani Bernis (President of the General Directorate), Mestre Tai Bixby (Vice-President of the International Field), Mestre Leonardo Pauperio (Director of the Legal Department), Counselor André Fagundes (Vice-Director of International Relations for the Legal Department), Counselor Ilka Boin (Director of the Medical-Scientific Department) and Sister Iris Corso Barreto (Regional Coordinator of the Legal Department of the 19th Region).

Among the Portuguese guests were Professor Dr. André Gonçalo Dias Pereira, President of the Center for Biomedical Law and Vice-President of the National Council of Ethics for Life Sciences; Attorney Dr. Fernando Soares Loja, Vice-President of the Portuguese Commission for Religious Freedom; Professor Dr. Miguel Castelo-Branco, physician and neuroscientist at the University of Coimbra; journalist Amílcar Correia, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Público; Dr. Francisco Quelhas Lima, professor at the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Portugal.

The event also included the participation of Mestre Antonio Lopes Cristóvão (Central Mestre of the 19th Region), Mestres Ricardo Crepaldi and Ascelino Mendes (Central Assistant Mestres of the 19th Region) and Mestre Sérgio Martins (Representative Mestre of Núcleo Luz Boa), as well as other Mestres from Núcleo Luz Boa and the irmandade of the 19th Region.

Program and Lectures

The Seminar’s program included several sensitive and current topics, such as the right to religious freedom from an international perspective; the state’s duty to accommodate safe religious practices; the challenges of regulating the use of Hoasca Tea; presentation of the results from scientific studies published in internationally renowned journals, highlighting the positive effects of the ritual use of Hoasca Tea on mental and cognitive health, as well as the safety of its use – including over the long term – in properly structured religious contexts.

UDV members gave presentations addressing the following themes: (1) the right to religious use of Hoasca Tea in the world and their Christian foundations; (2) the consolidation of the main scientific research that attests to the harmlessness of Hoasca Tea to human health; (3) the use of these studies as evidence in administrative and judicial proceedings in different countries; (4) the different models of regulation for the religious use of Hoasca Tea, in light of the duty of reasonable accommodation; and (5) the positive and safe experience of the existing regulations in Brazil, as well as the success of the agreements signed between the UDV and the governments of the United States and Canada, which have resulted in the granting of formal licenses for the import of Hoasca Tea exclusively for religious purposes, within the seriousness and permanent commitment of the UDV to comply with legal standards and to safeguard the health of its members.

Important Milestone

The Seminar held in Coimbra was more than an academic activity: it constituted fertile ground for dialogue and knowledge-sharing, where seeds were planted that are destined to flourish as evidence-based public policies, guided by the search for solutions that ensure freedom of worship and collective health.

As part of the strategy to consolidate the institutional presence of the União do Vegetal in Europe, the initiative promoted public awareness about its sincere religious practices in the high standards of responsibility and safety that it is guided by

The Seminar having been held at the most traditional Portuguese university – bringing together professors, attorneys, doctors and institutional representatives – reaffirms the UDV’s commitment to valuing scientific knowledge, strengthening dialogue with public authorities, academic cooperation and promoting a deeper understanding for the responsible use of Hoasca Tea within a religious context.

On this occasion, the União do Vegetal expressed its gratitude to all the speakers, participants, the Central Administration of the 19th Region and the Direction and the irmandade of Núcleo Luz Boa, whose collaboration was essential for the success of the event. The UDV also extended its recognition to the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra and the Center for Biomedical Law for their institutional support and valuable scientific contribution.

Publication

All lectures were recorded and are currently being edited to be made available later, on the Center’s official channel. The presentations by UDV speakers will also be published in the form of scientific articles and compiled into a collective work, which is already in the editorial process. These materials will serve as important instruments to support the União do Vegetal’s strategic actions with national and international authorities.

*Leonardo Pauperio is a member of the Cadre of Mestres of the General Headquarters and is the Director of the General Directorate’s Legal Department.

**André Fagundes is a member of the Body of Counsel of Núcleo Luz Boa (Lisbon, Portugal) and is the Vice Director of International Relations for the General Directorate’s Legal Department.