The Cardinal Américo Aguiar was a guest speaker today at the PSD/CDS-PP parliamentary sessions, which are being held until Tuesday in Évora. The event featured a panel titled ‘Portugal Leaves No One Behind,’ during which he advocated for clear and predictable rules to publicly announce the number of immigrants Portugal can accommodate “with dignity.”
In the healthcare sector, the bishop acknowledged that the issue is not one of personalities, expressing his belief that none of the ministers he has known “made mistakes on purpose.”
“Each one tried to do what they thought was right, but for the average citizen, the problem persists,” he lamented, warning that if problems persist for five, ten, or fifteen years, people lose hope.
In this context, he issued a warning: “When we lack trust and hope, my friends, anyone can take control of the ship,” he said, refraining from directly pointing to any political figures.
However, he insisted that some may even “help trigger” what he referred to as a true ‘Molotov cocktail.’
“Without hope, without trust, anyone can take the helm,” he reiterated, calling for “broad consensus” in healthcare, as well as in other sectors, to solve people’s real problems and emphasizing the responsibility of politicians.
Américo Aguiar expressed regret over the “deterioration of the public’s trust in their elected officials” in recent years.
“In fact, we’ve reached a point where being seen as a non-politician is considered an advantage. I learned that being a politician is about serving the public interest, managing the affairs of the city. It’s an honor, a mission, not something toxic, and it shouldn’t be,” he remarked.
He jokingly added, “We need to work, let Luís work, don’t we?” referencing the AD’s campaign slogan and the prime minister’s name.
Regarding immigration, he argued that the state must “live up to the expectations it has created for those who’ve been here for many years,” distinguishing this from a future immigration policy.
“I’ve used this example: let’s imagine I can accommodate 20 people in my home, providing each with dignity, rights, and duties. So, I make that number public,” he explained, noting that doing so “respects their dignity.”
If, on the other hand, “we say anyone is welcome, and 1,000 arrive,” it creates false expectations for the remaining 980, which he believes is happening in Portugal today.
“We’ve promised welcome to all who can and want to come, yet we lack the capacity to fulfill it, disrespecting their dignity, doing the opposite,” he stated.
The Cardinal did not specify whether he supports setting quotas for the number of immigrants Portugal can receive, stating he is not an expert on the subject.
“As a country, as a nation, we are obligated to welcome those we want to receive, or have already received, well, and for that, we need to be aware of our capacities and make it clear—be it annually or quarterly, I have no idea—so everyone knows what to expect,” he stated.
Otherwise, he warned, “the ongoing influx of men and women from all around the world results in exploitative conditions and very serious situations.”
