“I would like to express my gratitude here, not only to the prelates who have guaranteed this prophetic voice over 50 years, but also to the people of God and all those who have walked alongside them through these decades, for all they have done,” he stated.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa attended a mass held today at the Sé Cathedral in Setúbal to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the diocese, presided over by Cardinal Américo Aguiar, Bishop of Setúbal.
“Individuals, families, schools, institutions that, in times of crisis — and there were many over these 50 years — provided support to the economic, social, and cultural fabric, as well as to the lives of so many, ensuring what the local government and the state alone could not,” said the head of state during a brief intervention at the end of the mass.
“This gratitude to the Church, the people of God, and its institutions in all domains, is what I want to highlight today. It is an immeasurable gratitude, expressed on behalf of all Portuguese people and the nation of Portugal,” he emphasized.
Earlier in the homily, the Bishop of Setúbal echoed a phrase from Pope Francis in Lisbon, asserting that the Church has a place for “everyone, everyone, everyone.”
“Here in Setúbal, we want this to be more than just a beautiful phrase; we want it to be a life plan, because no one is saved alone, and no one dreams alone,” Américo Aguiar remarked, adding that “celebrating 50 years is not about closing a book, but opening a new chapter.”
“It is through God’s dream that we walk, a dream with room for everyone, where faith and justice join hands, where those who govern and those who believe work together for the common good,” he added.
In light of the municipal elections on the 12th, Cardinal Américo Aguiar also appealed for “the necessary consensus and coordination for the full functioning of the intermunicipal community of the Setúbal Peninsula.”
“This consensus and coordination must begin now with the governance of the municipal executives that will soon take office. Our voters, your voters, will not forgive us if we fail,” he warned, stressing that “the dreams that can be realized with the new framework of community funds for the development of the peninsula must not be lost.”
“Together, all of us, all, all, all, must dream and pave new paths that the announced state investments for the peninsula can create, actualizing many dreams and lives for our populations. The major project ‘Parques Cidades do Tejo’, the Luís Camões airport, new Tejo crossings, 26 thousand homes, industrial area redevelopment, public transport network expansion, all these can truly become a reality,” emphasized Américo Aguiar.
Among those present at the ceremony were the President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, José Ornelas, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, and the Mayor of Setúbal, André Martins.
