Bishop of Beja D. Fernando Paiva presides over funeral Mass for Bishop emeritus D. António Vitalino Dantas

Bishop Fernando Paiva presided over the funeral Mass for Bishop emeritus of Beja António Vitalino Dantas on Saturday, October 10, at the Parish of Parada de Gatim in the Archdiocese of Braga. Dantas died on Friday, October 9.

During the homily, Bishop Paiva thanked Dantas for his service to the Diocese of Beja, where he served as bishop from 1999 to 2016 after serving as an auxiliary bishop in Lisbon. Paiva expressed hope that the work Dantas performed would yield abundant fruit.

The celebration included 10 bishops and 18 priests. A telegram from the Secretariat of State of the Holy See was read at the beginning of the Mass, conveying a message from Pope Leo XIV. The message expressed the Pope's sorrow over the death of Dantas and noted his service to migrants and the people of Beja. The telegram, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, offered an apostolic blessing to the family, the members of the Order of Carmel, the clergy, and the faithful.