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Monday, August 21, 2023
Portugal welcomes Americans interested in settling
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Pope Francis’ historic visit to Portugal a great success.
The World
Youth Day festival in Lisbon lasted a week. It will continue to be seriously discussed for at least another month, and it will stay in the memories of more
than a million young pilgrims for years.
Christians in
their teens and twenties from nearly every country in the world arrived barely
knowing a word of Portuguese, but hugs immediately became the international
“language of love.”
A few days
before the arrival of Pope Francis, the highly innovative Portuguese artist
Bordalo II managed to break into one of the main venues and roll out a “walkway
of shame”, a carpet up steps to an altar from which the pope was to deliver
speeches. The carpet consisted of huge images of €500 banknotes. It was a
symbolic protest against the amount of public money being spent on the
religious event while so many people in the capital and nearby cities are
homeless or living in poverty.
Prime
Minister Antonio Costa downplayed the costs and said
the government and municipalities involved would benefit from their investments
in the World Youth Day (WYD) event.
The “walkway of shame” was also a reminder of the “shame of silence”, the
cover-up of child sex abuse by the clergy that persisted within the Catholic
Church for decades. Shortly before the pope’s arrival, the cardinal-patriarch
of Lisbon said the church was “fully committed” to resolving the scandal.
Local Lisbon residents were far from happy about the disruption being
caused to their normal daily lives by the mass of young Christian visitors. And
there was some very unchristian behaviour going on as well. Pilgrims had to be
warned of scams such as car drivers, falsely claiming to be closely associated
with the event organisers, charging exorbitant taxi fares.
Protests and strikes by local transport workers, doctors, nurses,
teachers and rubbish collectors did not seem to disrupt the tsunami of
festivities that got underway on Tuesday August 1, the eve of the pope’s
arrival. By then more than a million pilgrims were reportedly in the city ready
to enjoy various celebrations, including not only special religious services,
but musical and theatrical performances and sporting competitions.
Less than
half of the pilgrims had formally registered for the festivities. Of those who
did register, the biggest groups were Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. More than 27,000 had crossed the Atlantic from
the United States.
On flying in
from Rome, the pontiff’s plane was escorted by Portuguese air force fighter
jets. Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, welcomed the pope and his
entourage “with open arms” at the Figo Maduro military airport. The tight
security in place included an extra large police presence in Lisbon and a ban
on drones flying over Fatima when the pope went there. While the safety
arrangements were secure, the Portuguese PSP police union pointed to
“deplorable hygiene and cleanliness standards” for it members.
On his first
day in Lisbon the pope expressed concerns about euthanasia, the environment and
war within Europe. Later, in a private meeting, the pope spoke with 13 victims
who had been sexually abused by members of the clergy. He “listened to them
intently,” according to a Vatican spokesperson. Francis clearly deplored the
weak response of the Portuguese Catholic hierarchy to the hideous scandal in
this country. Before the truth fully emerged, the church hierarchy had claimed
that “only a handful” of priests were involved. Francis lamented that this had
driven many of the faithful away from the church.
Later in the
week, the pontiff shared his thoughts on many other subjects including abortion,
climate change, the importance of charity, and the need to avoid being fooled
by false social media disinformation.
Two hundred thousand turned
out to greet the pope with cheers of delight by the time he had arrived at 8.35
on Friday morning for his short visit to Fatima. The crowds lined the route for
the popemobile from the Fatima heliport, and filled into the vast concourse
within the sanctuary in front of the Fatima Basilica overlooking the Shrine
where the three shepherd children are believed to have witnessed the apparitions
of the Virgin Mary in 1917. Francis met and blessed babies during his two-hour
stay before returning to Lisbon.
Having spoken repeatedly about the gravest challenges facing
humanity and the Catholic Church, including the war in Ukraine and child sex
abuse, during Mass on his final day in Portugal, the pontiff pleaded with young
people “not to be afraid” and that they are “the present and the future.”
Friday, July 28, 2023
World Youth Day in Lisbon
Local authorities and services have prepared as best they can, but it is impossible to be sure that everything will go according to plan. Hundreds of thousands of young people, including many from around the world, have registered to take part in the celebrations presided over by Pope Francis.
Foreign participants are already arriving to find their accommodation in various dioceses in the capital and elsewhere nearby.
In addition to road traffic chaos in the centre of the city, disruptions may be caused by protests and strikes involving police, transport workers, doctors, nurses, teachers and garbage collectors during the event that runs from 1st to 6th August. Farmers have expressed anger that the Catholic Church has advised all young pilgrims to abstain from eating meat for a year to offset global carbon emissions.
The first World Youth Day (WYD) was held in 1986 in Rome. The others have been held in major cities in various countries. In 1983, for example, it was held in Denver, Colorado with more than 750,000 people present. The largest WYD gathering amounted to an estimated five million in Manila in the Philippines in 1995.
Pope Benedict XVI avidly supported WYDs. His resignation in 2013 at the age of 85 was because of declining health due to old age. During his tenure as patriarch he had given much encouragement to young people. He was known as the ‘Green Pope’ because of his concern about global warming. This is still the number one concern of most young people in Portugal.
Pope Benedict’s first international engagement was also his first WYD, which was held in 2005 with 1.3 million people present in Cologne in his native Germany. At the last WYD before his resignation, Benedict advised young people across the globe to “preserve Christian joy within their hearts.”
His resignation came amid shocking revelations of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in the United States and later in Europe. They impacted the already diminishing number of regular Catholic churchgoers in the western world. Most of the pews in Portugal were being left to the elderly.
An inquiry in France found that at least 330,000 children had been victims of sexual abuse by French priests, deacons and others within the church between 1950 and 2020.
Inquiries in Ireland found that thousands of infants died in brutal living conditions for unmarried mothers in the seven decades up to the 1990s. Other reports have described Catholic orphanages and schools in 20th- century Ireland as places of “neglect, fear and endemic sexual abuse.”
An independent inquiry in Portugal found that hundreds of Catholic priests had sexually abused nearly 5,000 children over several decades, and that this “was only the tip of the iceberg.”
Child abuse has become one of the defining themes of Benedict’s legacy, and one of the chief challenges for Pope Francis. The present pope has declared that he takes “personal responsibility” for ending the abuse. He told CNN Portugal last autumn that the church had “zero tolerance” for abuse and that “a priest cannot remain a priest if he is an abuser.”
Many within the church, however, have regarded Francis’ apologies as hollow and criticised his efforts to bring all offending clerics to justice. This will probably be discussed in the background of the youthful gathering in Lisbon. Indeed, in a message eleven months ago to those preparing for the Lisbon event, Pope Francis urged young people to reflect on their priorities and what moves them. He suggested they contemplate the current humanitarian crises and avoid falling into a culture of indifference.
That said, the main focus in Lisbon will be to promote faith, hope and charity in the host country, as well as peace, unity and fraternity among people and nations around the world.
The main site for the events in Lisbon will be the 100 hectare Parque Tejo by the riverside. The Parque Eduardo VII and the Jardim Vasco da Gama will be among the other main locations for religious meetings.
Pope Francis will be in Lisbon for most of his stay, but will make a day trip to the Shrine of Fatima on August 5. Drones have been banned from the airspace over the shrine during the pope’s visit. This will be his second visit to Fatima, the first being in 2017 for the centenary of the apparitions involving three young youths. Two of them have been made saints. The third, Sister Lucia, will join them in sainthood soon – perhaps on August 5 as a climax to the Lisbon World Health Day event.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
WEDNESDAY BRIEFING
Mid-Week Headline News
– July 19
Alzheimer’s “turning point”
A new drug to treat Alzheimer’s
has been announced at a four-day conference in Amsterdam that ends tomorrow.
Trials on the drug, Donanemab, have shown it to slow progression in the early
stages of the disease by up to 35%. While far from a cure, the new drug is
being hailed as “a turning point” in the fight against the disease. It is
estimated that about 50,000 people in Portugal are currently living with
Alzheimer’s and the number is rising.
Popular among expats
Only two European countries are rated in the 2023 top ten most popular countries in the world for expats, according to the global portal InterNations. Portugal is rated at number 10 of the 53 countries surveyed. About 80% of expats feel welcome and at home in Portugal. The ease of settling here is one of its highlights. However job prospects, career development and fair pay are worse than in Spain, which was given the world’s number 2 slot. Number one went again to Mexico. Panama was 3rd. The UK was 43rd. Kuwait was at the very bottom.
The end of Golden Visas sparks anger
The leader of the autonomous government in the Azores has joined his counterpart if Madeira in condemning the mainland Portuguese government for ending the Golden Visa scheme that has been economically beneficial to the islands. While speaking to the Luca News agency and the RTP Azores television channel, the Azores president criticized the "unilateral decision" of the central government.
According to SchengenVisaInfo.com there are currently over 21,000 requests being reviewed in the initial analysis phase, which is the first stage of reviewing and evaluating the requests for investment. Out of these, 7,802 applications have been submitted by foreign investors and citizens.
Illegal immigrant clampdown
The Portuguese Criminal Investigation Police (PJ) and the
SEF immigration and borders service have launched a process to put an end to an
alleged illegal immigration network, the minister of internal affairs announced
on Monday. Similar processes will
follow, he said.
So much
for marriage!
The Portugal News quoting
Pordata is reporting that 60% of
marriages in Portugal end in divorce. Data from 2021 shows that there were
about 60 divorces for every 100 marriages in Portugal. This is only surpassed
by Luxembourg (72% divorces), Finland (62.1%), and marginally by Sweden (60.8%).
Christiano
Ronaldo to move on
Portugal’s football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has
been playing for a team in Saudi Arabia since January, said on Monday that he
would not be returning to European football. It was “a completely closed door”
for him, he said. If he moves on, it will probably be to play “soccer” for more
vast income in the United States. The
38-year-old’s current net worth is said to be about $500 million.
Portuguese
newspapers
One of the biggest stories in the national papers so far
this week has been about alleged embezzlement at the telecom operator Altice,
thought to involve about €660 million.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
SUNDAY BRIEFING
Weekend headline news
Maybe the hottest heatwave ever!
Southern Europe is bracing itself for the hottest heatwave ever recorded. Temperatures in Portugal in the next few days are expected to again reach 40C (104F) or more, but not as much as in parts of Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain where 48C (118.4F) is being predicted by the European Space Agency. A red alert has been issued for 10 cities, including Florence and Rome. Such heatwaves are due mainly to the burning of fossil fuels that are still not being politically banished by the major users outside of Europe.
Drug decriminalisation: two views
Regina LaBelle, who held a top position in the US Office of Drug Control under both the President Obama and Biden administrations, wrote an article published this week in The Hill , a Washington political newspaper, strongly advising Americans to take a lesson from Portugal’s success in decriminalising all forms of drug use. This was in contrast to an article published a few days earlier in the Washington Post under the headline, “Once hailed for decriminalizing drugs, Portugal is now having doubts”.
Two new national
monuments
A
government decree has declared the Islamic baths in Loule and the Alfandega
Nova building in Porto as national monuments. The baths date back to the 12th
century when Loule was a medieval Islamic settlement. The Alfandega building
was designed by a French architect in the 19th century and is now a
congress centre and museum.
Judicial opinion: government is “criminal”
Portugal’s Judicial Employees Union is anticipating the complete closure of the courts and public prosecutors’ offices due to strike action that started on Friday. The union has denounced what it calls the “criminal silence” of the government in responding to its members’ wage and conditions demands.
Doubts about digital currency
Portugal’s
finance minister is among those in the eurozone with “significant doubts” about
the creation of digital money. A virtual version of the euro currency is being
studied by the European Central Bank. What is being most seriously questioned
is its “usefulness” - or otherwise.
Regional English
newspapers
Prices are going to rise for the second consecutive week, is among the reports the Portugal News. The increase in the week ahead will be the same for both: 1.5 cents per litre. The Portugal Resident headlines include: “Police detain 16 suspected of €5.6 million tax scam on imported cars.”
Portuguese-language papers
One of the top stories in
the Portuguese press in recent days has been the controversial findings of the
final report of a parliamentary committee inquiry into the management of TAP,
Portugal’s international airline.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
WEDNESDAY BRIEFING
Mid-week headline news
– July 12
Sweden joining NATO
Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa was in the Lithuanian capital on Friday
night before the start of the NATO summit yesterday and heard the welcome news that
Turkey had withdrawn its opposition to Sweden joining the Atlantic alliance.
This is a further landmark step in the strengthening of European security as
Russia’s war in Ukraine shows no sign of abating. Sweden will now be NATO’s
32nd member state following Finland’s accession in April this year. Ukraine
wants to join the alliance, but admission is unlikely while the war continues.
NATO to focus more on Africa?
During yesterday’s NATO
discussions, Portugal’s prime minister said that the alliance had agreed to
announce conclusions on Portugal’s request that more attention be paid to its
southern flank, the continent of Africa.
EasyJet cancellations
EasyJet has so far
cancelled 350 flights to Portugal between 21-25 July due to a new strike
planned by cabin crews. The union representing the cabin crews said on Monday
that 69% of flights from Faro, Lisbon and Porto would be cancelled.
Help for the Roma people
Portuguese Romanies want
the government to establish an agency or commission to deal with the issues
specific to their communities across the country. An estimated 30,000 to 50,000
Romanies, also known in Portugal as ciganos (gypsies), have long been regarded
by many indigenous Portuguese in a negative or insulting way.
Robot designed to disinfect
The University of Aveiro
has developed an autonomous robot to disinfect public spaces with ultraviolet
radiation and harmless chemical solutions, Luca
News reported on Monday.
Keep Golden Visas: Madeira
The leader of the local
government in Madeira is insisting on an extension of the Golden Visa scheme
for the autonomous regions. He has described the mainland government’s decision
to scrap the scheme for the entire country as “scandalous”.
Classic cars this weekend in Algarve
The 30th annual Algarve Classic Car Event will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The best place to see a great many classic cars this Friday will be next to the marina in Vilamoura. On Saturday they will set off on a rally, stopping for a while at Tavira and São Brás de Alportel. On Sunday they will visit Albufeira and Armacao de Pera.
Tourist boats must avoid orcas
The Portuguese Institute
for the Conservation of Nature and Forests has banned tourist boats from
approaching groups of killer whales (ocas). As tempting as it is to get as
close as possible for the pleasure of tourists, orcas have shown a strong
tendency to attack propellers and rudders and occasionally sink boats off the
coasts of Portugal and Spain.
Rare wildlife for ecotourists
Genevieve Fox writing in
Sunday’s Observer newspaper waxed
lyrical about the wildlife in northern Portugal’s Greater Coa Valley. It was in
this 120,000 hectare nature corridor that she spent hours watching a rare breed
of wild horses. The area’s rich biodiversity includes Iberian wolves, lynxes,
eagles and vultures.
Sunday, July 9, 2023
SUNDAY BRIEFING
Weekend headline news
– July 9
Cluster bomb controversy
Portugal
has long condemned the use of cluster bombs, a stockpile of which the United
States is now planning to give to Ukraine to help the war effort. Among the many
countries to ratify a convention against cluster bombs in 2015, Portugal will
be able to discuss the US plan at a NATO summit in Lithuania this coming
Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sweden joining NATO?
Portugal
fully supports the bid by Sweden to join NATO, which the US president and the
Swedish prime minister sought to push forward at their meeting in the White
House last Wednesday. It is of great security importance given Russia’s war in
Ukraine. All 31 NATO leaders agree with this except Turkey and Hungary. President
Erdogan of Turkey continues to block the move, arguing that Sweden has
harboured members of a Kurdish terrorist group. Hungary is expected to accept
Sweden’s membership if Turkey concedes.
Quitting an energy treaty
The European Commission has formally proposed that the EU and all its member states, including Portugal, withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) in “a coordinated and orderly manner”. On Friday, the EU Green Deal chief, Frans Timmermans, said: “It’s time for Europe to withdraw from this treaty and to put all our focus on building an efficient and competent energy system that promotes and protects renewable energy investments”.
Prepared for wildfires
Wildfires
this summer will be “more difficult” than last year’s, but Portugal is
prepared, said the president of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil
Protection (ANEPC) on Friday. Last year’s severe wildfires burnt more than
105,000 acres (42,500 hectares) of forested land.
More strikes during
Pope’s visit
Portuguese
teachers, railway workers, police officers and garbage collectors are planning
protests and strikes during the World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon. Pope
Francis will be among the estimated one million Catholic attendees at the event
over the first week of August.
Shorter working week
Nearly
40% of Portugal’s private sector businesses have signed up to experiment with a
four-day instead of the traditional five-day working week. A government-funded
programme will take place over the next six months to test if employees can
achieve 100% productivity targets while being paid 100% for 80% time worked.
Successful pilot 100-80-100 projects have been conducted in Ireland, Brussels, the
UK, the US, and New Zealand.
Sun, sea and silence
Most
beachgoers in Portugal want to enjoy peace and quiet, which is why fines of up
to €36,000 will be imposed for anyone playing their music too loudly this
summer. So best keep your mobile music device shut off altogether when you are
on the sand. President Marcelo hospitalised
Marcelo
Rebelo de Sousa fainted and was rushed to hospital by ambulance from a
university visit in Almada on Wednesday. He reported experiencing hypothermia,
dizziness, nausea, and extreme fatigue after a light lunch. The hospital visit
was later described as “a precautionary measure”.