New Delhi, Dec. 17 -- A renowned Brazilian Catholic priest confirmed Tuesday that he was ordered by Sao Paulo's archbishop to stop broadcasting his services and avoid social media postings all-together, following attacks from right-wing figures who denounce his actions as leftist.

With 2.3 million followers on Instagram, Julio Lancellotti, 76, is famous all over Brazil for his extensive advocacy and outreach work with homeless people in Sao Paulo. On Tuesday, he told journalists he received the news from Cardinal Odilo Scherer, Sao Paulo's archbishop, "in a spirit of obedience and resilience."

Sao Paulo's archdiocese said in a statement that "issues discussed by the archbishop and a priest are of internal concern of the church and are c...