Veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with representatives of Brazil’s booming evangelical Christian community on Wednesday to win votes from the key group broadly backing his presidential rival, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.

During the Sao Paulo meeting, Lula signed a “declaration of commitment” to evangelicals, saying he was opposed to abortion and vowing to protect religious freedom.

The former president (2003-2010), who is leading opinion polls for Brazil’s Oct. 30 runoff, has faced a smear campaign from Bolsonaro supporters who have accused him of plotting to close churches if elected.

He was also attacked by Bolsonaro’s camp over abortion after saying in April it should be a “right” – and then backtracking amid widespread backlash in the socially conservative country.

“Everyone knows that there was never the slightest risk to the churches when I was President. On the contrary,” Lula said in the letter.

“My government will not take any action against freedom of religion.”

On the thorny issue of abortion — voted against by more than 70 percent of Brazilians in most cases, according to polls — the front runner sought to allay evangelical fears.

“For me, life is sacred, the work of God the Creator, and my obligation was and always is to protect it,” he said.

“I am personally opposed to abortion and remind everyone that it is a matter for Congress to decide, not the President.”

Brazil currently prohibits abortion in all cases except in cases of rape, incest or endangering the life of the mother.

Evangelicals are estimated to make up almost a third of Brazil’s 214 million people.

About 65 percent of them support Bolsonaro, compared to 31 percent for Lula, according to the Datafolha Institute’s latest poll released on Friday.

The same poll found Lula leading the runoff race with 53 percent of valid votes versus 47 percent for Bolsonaro.

Religion has become a political battleground amid the polarization campaign, with Bolsonaro regularly addressing the issues of God and Christianity and appearing alongside influential evangelical pastors.

Lula urged religious leaders to keep churches out of the fray.

“If a pastor wants to talk about politics, it’s on the street, not in the church,” he said.