“I think people will continue to live the day tomorrow [Friday] with emotion, especially since it’s the day before the funeral [of Pope Francis]. But I think it’s understandable that they also express their enthusiasm for April 25. It doesn’t seem contradictory to me,” said Luís Marques Mendes today upon arriving at the Faculty of Economics of Porto (FEP).
Before participating in the first session of the “Political April” series at FEP, he declined to comment specifically on the government’s statement regarding changes to the April 25 celebrations, citing lack of knowledge.
However, he mentioned that “the Portuguese, in general, will enjoy tomorrow’s day and holiday [Friday, April 25] with great pleasure,” as “April 25 always means a lot to people.”
“Tomorrow marks 51 years. Of course, the 50th anniversary was more mobilizing, normal, natural. But I think people genuinely like April 25, from the right to the left,” he reflected.
The presidential candidate and former PSD leader also reminded that on Friday “there’s a second reason” to mark the anniversary, as it has been “50 years since the first democratic elections in Portugal, for the Constituent Assembly.”
“I think people will express themselves around the idea of April 25 with the usual enthusiasm,” he predicted, even as the country mourns the death of Pope Francis.
Luís Marques Mendes considered that celebrating April 25 and mourning are “distinct things.”
“I think the country liked and still likes Pope Francis very much. Therefore, throughout these days, with or without national mourning, people live his disappearance with a lot of emotion,” he told journalists, adding that nobody was indifferent to his death, believers or not.
The government clarified today that the decree instituting national mourning for Pope Francis’s death does not impose any restrictions on the celebration of April 25 by public or private entities, merely defining the conduct of executive members.
The festive event program initially planned for the official residence of the prime minister “was postponed to May 1 but was not canceled,” clarified the statement.
On Wednesday, the government approved in the Council of Ministers the decree declaring three days of national mourning for Pope Francis’s death, to be observed from today until Saturday.
After the Council of Ministers, the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, announced that the government had canceled the entire “festive agenda” and postponed the celebrations related to April 25, arguing that the national mourning for Pope Francis requires restraint in the commemorations.
