“There is space in the Church for everyone… Everyone, everyone, everyone!” Pope Francis encouraged the half-a-million young people who warmly received him on Thursday evening at Lisbon’s Edward VII Park to repeat this word numerous times. The Pope appeared revitalized and invigorated by the contagious enthusiasm of the girls and boys who, together with their Read more
As the city of Lisbon prepares for an upcoming visit by Pope Francis, souvenir vendors have been extremely busy. A wide range of merchandise is available, including papal socks, T-shirts, blankets, pillows, iPhone covers, mugs, scarves, stickers, and posters. One website offers 603 different designs. While many of the items are respectful, not all of Read more
Portugal’s president is under fire for seeming to make light Catholic clergy sex abuse revelations. After finding members of the Portuguese Catholic Church had sexually abused over 400 children, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa indicated the number didn’t seem significant. “Having 400 cases doesn’t seem to me to be a lot, because in other countries Read more
LISBON — On a broken-down set of steps, a 37-year-old fisherman named Mario mixed heroin and cocaine and carefully prepared a hypodermic needle. “It’s hard to find a vein,” he said, but he finally found one in his forearm and injected himself with the brown liquid. Blood trickled from his arm and pooled on the Read more
Pope Francis has said he will visit Portugal in 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions in Fatima. Following a private audience with the Pope, Bishop Antonio Marto of Leiria-Fatima told media that Francis expressed a desire to make the trip, provided he is still “alive and healthy” at the time. If Francis Read more
A former Catholic priest is believed to be one of those supporting singer Sir Cliff Richard as he faces an historic allegation of abusing a boy. Sir Cliff, who vehemently denies the abuse claim, is often in the company of former priest John McElynn, who is one of the supporters dubbed “Team Cliff”. The singer’s Read more
Hundreds of priests in Portugal have reportedly left their vocations recently, to get married or take up secular lives, often without being laicised. Portuguese television station TVI 24 reported comments from a former cleric that six priests in one diocese all walked away from their vocation on the same day. “Young priests – and some Read more
‘All is connected…’ I began these musings in March with this tag. It becomes clearer to me and more relevant each time. We have been gifted this beautiful world to use and enjoy. Not to plunder and pollute. Governments seem paralysed by inertia or denial of the disastrous effects of climate change, already evident in the Read more
The “diplomatic incident” in which the Cardinal Archbishop of Lisbon, Jose da Cruz Policarpo was involved in recent weeks, following the release of some opening statements in relation to women priests, seems to have been permanently dismissed. As reported by Vatican Radio, the Pope, in fact sent him a letter expressing his wishes on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Archbishop’s priestly ordination. In the letter, he recognized the Cardinal’s “sound doctrine,” among other things.
Read the article...The Lisbon patriarch, Jose da Cruz Policarpo, who during a recent interview stated that “no fundamental obstacle” exists, from a “theological stand point,” to the ordination of women priests had an exchange with the Papal Secretary of State Bertone, after he received a letter from the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith, cardinal William Levada, who invited him to clarify his position.
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