José Pedro Aguiar-Branco expressed his stance in statements to journalists at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Lisbon, where he signed the book of condolences for the Pope’s passing.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic confirmed to reporters that he will attend the Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican on Saturday, along with the Head of State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel. He also affirmed the decision to maintain the solemn session commemorating the April 25th, 1974 revolution in parliament, despite Friday being the second of three days of national mourning.
“During the April 25th solemn session, there will be a tribute to Pope Francis through a motion that I will personally present. Thus, in a moment that is so solemn for Portugal and the Portuguese people – the day of April 25th – in such an important session for Portugal, this motion also signifies the particular gratitude and esteem that the Portuguese people held for this Pope,” stated the President of Parliament.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic indicated that the national mourning on the upcoming Friday does not legally conflict with holding the solemn session commemorating the 1974 revolution.
“I believe it aligns with the spirit of Pope Francis’s legacy – a legacy characterized by being always open to dialogue, respecting differences, and confronting ideas, not arms. In the house of democracy, the house of words – the greatest space for respecting differences and others’ ideas – we will pay tribute to the legacy of a pontificate marked by the word,” he advocated.
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco also mentioned that the traditional ceremony associated with the April 25th solemn session, including the national anthem, would continue as usual.
“It is a ceremonial of honor, and in this context, also a tribute, because it is our national anthem. This session is the epitome of Portuguese democracy, where we also pay tribute to our democracy, our right to difference, the power of words to solve problems, the strength of exchanging opinions in a plural society that should seek consensus to reach solutions. This is the legacy of Pope Francis, considering that his main weapon throughout his pontificate was the word,” he insisted.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic emphasized that the motion of condolence for Pope Francis’s death is a motion from the representatives of the Portuguese people.
“We will conduct a session that dignifies the situation itself and, in no way, undermines the mourning that the country and the deputies feel about this moment,” he added.
