The Church in Portugal

Francisco Ferreira shared his experience of mourning and finding meaning through loss during a broadcast on October 29, 2026. The 19-year-old mathematics student spoke about the impact of his father's death one year ago and the challenges of managing his father's increasing fragility during his illness.

Ferreira described how his father's medical history affected their communication, noting that at age 11, he had to communicate using a button after his father underwent surgery to remove his vocal cords. When his father later faced an oncological disease, Ferreira began using writing and poetry to express himself and connect with his father. He stated that his family served as his first school for sharing and that his father taught him that love can exist within pain if it is shared.

The Council of Priests of the Diocese of Vila Real held an ordinary assembly on October 28 at the Casa do Clero. Bishop António Augusto Azevedo introduced the meeting's discussion on Sunday celebrations and how to conduct Sunday assemblies when a priest is not present. The council reviewed various documents to address these liturgical practices.

Paulo Gonçalves was reappointed as president of Cáritas Diocesana do Porto during an installation ceremony held Saturday, 25 October, at the Episcopal Palace. Bishop Manuel Linda attended the ceremony for the new governing bodies of the organization.

The new mandate will prioritize strengthening social responses in health care through the Mais Saúde na Família project, which supports the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Gonçalves noted that the project involves cooperation with the Catholic University of Portugal.

Other priorities include deepening institutional partnerships, expanding the donor base, and improving financial sustainability. Gonçalves noted that approximately two million people in Portugal face the risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Bishop José Ornelas of Leiria-Fátima has released a pastoral letter titled "Synodal, Ministerial and Missionary Church" to guide the diocese through 2030. The document, presented on October 4, establishes pastoral directions for the next four years.

The bishop noted that while the previous three-year project achieved some goals, further pastoral transformation is required. This new four-year plan extends beyond the traditional three-year diocesan cycle to allow for more intensive development and a celebratory conclusion in 2030.

The final year of the project will coincide with the 1600th anniversary of the death of Saint Augustine and the centenary of the canonical recognition of the Fátima apparitions as worthy of belief. The letter emphasizes the shared responsibility of all baptized members in building Christian communities and announcing the Gospel.

Bishop António Luciano presided at the Missa de Receção do Caloiro at the Viseu Cathedral on October 28, 2026. The liturgy included students from the Universidade Politécnica de Viseu, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Centro Regional de Viseu, and the Instituto Piaget.

The Diocese of Viseu Information Office reported that the bishop encouraged the students to act as protagonists of hope for peace. He told the students to work toward a world where neither hatred nor violence has a place.

The Diocese of Vila Real has begun a pilgrimage of a World Youth Day cross replica through its parishes and villages to promote the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul. The journey started on Saturday at the Church of Our Lady of Conception in Vila Real.

The replica was provided to Portuguese dioceses by the organizers of World Youth Day Lisbon 2023. This follows the 2022 pilgrimage of the original cross, which Pope John Paul II entrusted to young people in 1984.

The inaugural event included a discussion led by the Jeochua youth group, where participants shared memories of international Church events ranging from the 2000 World Youth Day in Rome to the 2025 Youth Jubilee. Following the discussion, the cross was handed to representatives from parishes in the western zone of the Central I deanery. The event concluded with a Mass celebrated by the local parish priest, Monsignor Fernando Miranda.

Jordan's Grand Mufti and Christian leaders condemned the attack on St. George's Greek Orthodox Church and called for prayer and unity between Christians and Muslims.

About 45 teachers of Moral and Religious Catholic Education (EMRC) met at the Viseu Seminary on Saturday, October 24, to prepare for the 2026/2027 school year. The gathering allowed educators to share experiences and plan activities for the upcoming academic term.

Abel Dias, a teacher, stated the meeting aimed to plan subject activities to support the educational mission and help make schools spaces for humanization and hope. The director of the Diocesan Secretariat for Christian Education in Viseu noted that EMRC teachers intend to help students understand that progress involves both knowledge and the ability to care for others.

During the meeting, Bishop António Luciano of Viseu spoke to the teachers about the role of schools in helping new generations seek truth and consider the meaning of life and human dignity. The bishop referenced the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

Bishop Armando Esteves Domingues called on members of the Romeiros de São Miguel movement to combat secularization and help bring young people closer to the Church. Speaking at the movement's first spiritual retreat of the 2026/2027 pastoral year in Capelas, the bishop described the pilgrims as an antidote to the influence of secularism in society.

The bishop noted that young people face significant difficulties, including challenges with housing and starting families. He asked the pilgrims to pray for them during the Romarias Quaresmais so they may find the conditions necessary to build their futures. He urged the group to witness to Christ and reach out to those who are marginalized or distant from the faith.

The retreat took place on Sunday, October 25, at the Escola Básica Integrada de Capelas. More than 250 pilgrims attended from various groups on São Miguel island, including representatives from two groups in the diaspora. Two additional retreats are scheduled for the movement.

Bishop Vitorino Soares of the Diocese of Faro has asked Christian communities in the Algarve to increase their prayers for priestly vocations. The bishop shared this message in a video at the start of the diocesan lausperene, which runs from October 24 to November 6.

This period precedes the Week of Prayer for Seminaries, scheduled for November 1 to November 8.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned an armed attack on an Orthodox church in Hamud, located in the Al Karak governorate of Jordan. The attack occurred during a funeral and resulted in at least six deaths and 28 injuries, though one report states seven people died and more than 30 were wounded.

In a statement released Friday, the Patriarchate described the incident as a terrorist attack that violates the sanctity of a place of worship and the fundamental rights to life, security, and religious freedom. The Church expressed condolences to the victims' families and the residents of Hamud.

The Patriarchate praised the Jordanian dynasty and the king for promoting moderation, tolerance, and the protection of religious rites. The statement noted that the national cohesion of Jordanian Muslims and Christians serves as a defense against extremism and attempts to create division.