The Pernambuco Court of Appeal (Tribunal de Justi\u00c3\u00a7a do Estado de Pernambuco) has stayed a lower court decision giving ownership of church properties in the state to the minority faction loyal to the national Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (IEAB). The effect of last week\u2019s decision is to return custody of the church properties to the Diocese of Recife and its bishop, the Rt. Rev. Miguel Uch\u00c3\u00b4a, while the court conducts a de novo review of the dispute.<\/p>\n
On 31 July 2013 Bishop Uch\u00c3\u00b4a told Anglican Ink the diocese was ready to turn over the properties to the IEAB but on \u201cthe 21st the state high court judged our appeal and gave us a positive answer. The state high court judges will now review the case. It means that they accepted [the case for study] and said \u201d\u02dcno\u2019 to the first judge who had given the [properties] to the IEAB.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n