It's also home to a different kind of church — located on its beachfront suburbs along the Atlantic coast near a fishing town known for some of the world's largest waves. Parishioners attend in boardshorts, T-shirts, flip flops — even barefoot.

They surf before they worship.

Surf Church was established by a Brazilian-born Portuguese surfer and ordained Baptist pastor to spread the Gospel in a once-devoutly Catholic country — and top surfing destination — where about half of young people today say they have no religion.

In less than a decade, it has grown from a few families to dozens of parishioners representing more than a dozen nationalities from across the world. Their motto: " We love waves. We love Jesus."

"When you're waiting for the right wave it's the calm before the swell, and that's a peaceful moment that sometimes is seconds, sometimes minutes," said the Rev. Samuel Cianelli, Surf Church's pastor. "This peaceful moment is, for me, my deepest connection with God." Continue reading

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 pastors and educators, travelled to Portugal from all over the world.

"For everyone, para todos," exclaimed Pope Francis. His message neatly epitomizes the first ten years of his pontificate—a pontificate that began under the banner of mercy.

What does it mean to reiterate that there is room for everyone in the Church?

By way of explanation, the Pope said,

"No one is useless; no one is superfluous; there is room for everyone.

'Just as we are, everyone... ‘But Father, I am a wretch; I am a sinner: is there room for me?'

"There is room for everyone.

"For, 'God loves us; God loves us as we are, not as we wish to be or as society expects us to be: as we are.

"He loves us with our flaws, limitations, and desires to progress in life.

"God calls us in this way: have faith because God is a father, and he is a loving father, a father who love us."

In a time when everyone gives their opinion, and no one listens, when so many try to appear as something they are not, there is no message more attractive and revolutionary than what the Pope is reminding us of: God loves us just as we are, always forgives us, awaits us with open arms, and extends His mercy.

This awareness represents a logic that goes beyond human capacity and reaches the divine, one we learn from the Gospel episode of Zacchaeus, the sinful publican disliked by all in the city of Jericho.

Despite the opinions of others about him and feeling curious about the Nazarene prophet, Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree and waits for Him to pass, half-hidden among the leaves.

Jesus looks at him first, loves him first, and invites Himself to Zacchaeus's home, regardless of the scandalized comments from onlookers.

There are no prerequisites to receiving Jesus' merciful embrace. There are no "instructions" to follow, no preparatory courses to attend, nor techniques to learn.

It is enough to be present when He passes by, surrender to His gaze filled with love and mercy.

We need only to remove our barriers and allow Him to embrace us, recognizing Him in the faces of the witnesses He places in our path every day.

The Church has room for everyone, just as it did for Zacchaeus, who had the privilege of hosting the Nazarene at his own table in his own home.

His was an unprecedented surprise, a free gift, bestowed purely by grace.

Jesus' gaze, His call, turned Zacchaeus's life upside down: because he was loved like never before, he could comprehend the depths of sin and corruption in his existence.

However, conversion for Zacchaeus wasn't a prerequisite for receiving love and forgiveness. Continue reading

• Andrea Tornielli is an Italian journalist and religious writer. He is the manager of the editorial department of the Dicastery for Communication. Here he offers his thoughts on Pope Francis' impassioned appeal for the Church to welcome everyone.

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 them are in good taste.

The pastry shop in Lisbon has definitely nailed it in the taste department.

They have introduced a new cookie to commemorate the event, featuring an image of the pontiff.

The cookie is already in high demand and the shop is making up to 120 cookies daily, hoping to sell thousands at a cost of €2.20 per piece. Read more

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 investigating shorter time periods there were thousands of cases," he said.

The President's remark has drawn widespread criticism. Some critics accuse him of lacking compassion.

Several hours after making the comments, a statement on the President's website sought to explain what his remark meant.

President de Sousa "regrets that not more people have come forward, because the total so far doesn't seem particularly high considering the probable sad truth, both in Portugal and in the rest of the world," the website reported.

The President wants investigations to continue and any evidence sent to the attorney general's office, the post continued.

Fallout from de Sousa's initial statement is still causing ructions, involving late night live interviews with two national broadcasters. He made it clear on both these occasions that the cases are "very serious."

Prime Minister Antonio Costa has come to the President's aid, explaining the President's initial comments had been misinterpreted.

Meanwhile, the Church investigating committee, which started work last January, is still urging victims to come forward.

Pedro Strecht, a psychiatrist who heads Portugal's Independent Committee for the Study of Child Abuse in the Catholic Church, said his panel has compiled a list of 424 alleged victims.

Before the committee started its work, senior church officials claimed there had only been a handful of abuse cases.

The panel, which was created by the Portuguese Bishops Conference, is looking into alleged abuse cases from 1950 to the present involving minors aged two to 17.

It is due to publish a report on 31 January 2023.

So far indications are that "a significant number" of Catholic Church priests and members have allegedly committed sex abuses.

"The problem not only existed, it also became widespread," Strecht said.

The further back in time his panel went, it found "serious situations that lasted for decades (and) in some places reached truly endemic proportions."

Some alleged abusers were named by more than one victim. Hundreds of abusers have been identified, Strecht said.

Portugal's statute of limitations has expired on most of the allegations. However, 17 complaints have been forwarded to the Portuguese attorney general's office and another 30 may still be sent, Strecht said.

All information about the victims and alleged abusers is being kept under wraps at present.

The panel's final report will include a confidential annex of all the names of alleged abusers. Copies will be sent to the Portuguese Bishops Conference and the police.

Strecht said the panel had no information about any abuses committed by foreign priests.

All of Portugal's bishops have been interviewed. Strecht praised the Portuguese Bishops Conference for showing "pioneering courage" in setting up the study.

Source

• ABC

"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 step, but he was oblivious.

"Are you O.K.?" Rita Lopes, a psychologist working for an outreach program called Crescer, asked him.

"You're not taking too much?" Lopes monitors Portuguese heroin users like Mario, gently encourages them to try to quit and gives them clean hypodermics to prevent the spread of AIDS.

Decades ago, the United States and Portugal both struggled with illicit drugs and took decisive action — in diametrically opposite directions.

The U.S. cracked down vigorously, spending billions of dollars incarcerating drug users.

In contrast, Portugal undertook a monumental experiment: It decriminalized the use of all drugs in 2001, even heroin and cocaine, and unleashed a major public health campaign to tackle addiction.

Ever since in Portugal, drug addiction has been treated more as a medical challenge than as a criminal justice issue.

After more than 15 years, it's clear which approach worked better.

The United States drug policy failed spectacularly, with about as many Americans dying last year of overdoses — around 64,000 — as were killed in the Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars combined.

In contrast, Portugal may be winning the war on drugs — by ending it. Today, the Health Ministry estimates that only about 25,000 Portuguese use heroin, down from 100,000 when the policy began.

The number of Portuguese dying from overdoses plunged more than 85 percent before rising a bit in the aftermath of the European economic crisis of recent years.

Even so, Portugal's drug mortality rate is the lowest in Western Europe — one-tenth the rate of Britain or Denmark — and about one-fiftieth the latest number for the U.S. Continue reading

• Nicholas Kristof, writes about human rights, women's rights, health, global affairs for The New York Times.

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 makes the trip he will be the fourth pope to do so, following Benedict XVI, St John Paul II and Blessed Paul VI.

The most likely dates for a papal visit would be May 13, the anniversary of the first apparition, or October 13, the anniversary of the miracle of the Sun.

Continue reading

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 Berkshire home was raided and searched by police last week, as part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on an underage boy at an evangelical rally in 1985.

Sir Cliff is currently staying at his Portuguese vineyard retreat.

In his biography "My Life, My Way", Sir Cliff said that soon after they met, Mr McElynn agreed to help manage his charitable projects.

"Our arrangement has worked out really well," he said.

"John now spends most of his time looking after my properties, which means I don't have to.

"John and I have over time struck up a close friendship. He has also become a companion, which is great because I don't like living alone."

All of Sir Cliff's properties are now managed by Mr McElynn, who has lived with him ever since his manager, Bill Latham, moved out after 30 years.

Meanwhile, the BBC has been accused of participating in a witch-hunt over the way it covered the raid on Sir Cliff's home.

It used knowledge of the investigation to leverage exclusive coverage of the raid.

The BBC filmed and broadcast the raid live from a helicopter which was flying above Sir Cliff's residence before the officers arrived.

South Yorkshire police admitted they had struck a deal with the broadcaster after a BBC reporter learned of their investigation into Sir Cliff and approached the force with the story, weeks before the raid.

In a bid to ensure the BBC did not jeopardise the investigation, the force said they had reluctantly given the broadcaster exclusive information in advance of the raid, enabling it to be shown live on TV.

Among those who have voiced their concerns is broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson, who said the BBC's actions "would have done the reds top credit".

Sir Cliff said he is yet to hear from police.

Sources

• The Telegraph
• The Guardian
• Image: Daily Mail

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 not so young, too - are just leaving, and refusing to go through the procedure of applying for a dispensation," said former priest Fernando Felix Pereira of Fraternitas.

Mr Pereira's group is pushing to have more married priests in the Church.

He expressed hope that the upcoming synod on the family would see some movement on this issue.

Continue reading

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 Pacific.

But there are significant signs of hope, in this season of Spring. Not mainly from the older and supposedly wiser generation, but from young people, some still students, who can read the signs of the times. They are determined to make a difference - researching the subject, evaluating which sources are reliable, coming together in groups of thousands around the world to make their voices heard. We ignore them to our detriment.

I want to highlight three groups, originating elsewhere, but now working in our country - 350.org and Generation Z, who are organising Powershift - see below - and A Rocha - mostly young people giving their time and energy and enthusiasm to fighting against the blindness and inaction of governments and big business with regard to climate change.

A Rocha, the rock [of Christ], was founded 30 years ago in Portugal, as - literally - a grassroots movement, to care for creation. They build community by restoring ecosystems, with volunteers working at the local level, with schools and local councils. The Karioi Maunga in the Waikato is one such project. Some of their story was told at the recent conference in Wellington, ‘Christianity and the ecological crisis', with the themes of lament, hope, action. The conference was jointly organised by A Rocha and Caritas, two organisations with complementary and overlapping aims - a perfect fit. More on this conference later.

Powershift, born from the failure of Rio + 20, gives me hope. Australia held a Powershift in 2011, now it is our turn, including Pacifica young people. UNICEF is a supporter, as it did the nation-wide meetings of young people aged 13-25 before Rio + 20. Now these same young people, from 350.org and Generation Z, disgusted by the failure of their elders, will hold a hui in Auckland in December. 1000 young people will gather to share their vision of a better world. They want to make a difference. Watch this space! Or Google it. They have a very informative and creative web site, including a video of the Australian event.

Is this an opportunity for the rest of us to support them? Young people from the Pacific may find the expense too great. Our parish justice group is considering sponsoring one or more, as well as encouraging a young person from the parish to attend. Reporting back will involve us in the work required to move from vision to action. The registration is $90, bed and breakfast at a new university hostel $150 for 3 nights - less than a weekend sampling wine in the Wairarapa for those of us in employment.

The Lord helps those who help themselves. Prayer with action is the way forward. Tricia Kane.

• Tricia Kane is a grandmother and a retired librarian.