Portugal is observing three national days of mourning until April 26 in memory of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday. But under what circumstances and how is a national mourning declared?
The article 42 of the Law of Precedences of the Portuguese State Protocol states that the “government declares the national mourning, its duration and scope, in the form of a decree”.
This is “declared upon the death of the President of the Republic, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, and the Prime Minister, as well as former Presidents of the Republic”, and also “upon the death of personalities, or the occurrence of events, of exceptional relevance”.
The mourning period, which affects the entire country, typically lasts between 1 and 3 days.
During national days of mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in accordance with the rules outlined in Article 7 of Decree-Law No. 150/87, dated March 30. “When national mourning is declared, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast for the number of days specified”, and “whenever the National Flag is flown at half-mast, any other flag flown with it should also be at half-mast”.
What does the Government decree say?
It is noteworthy that the President of the Republic signed, yesterday, the government decree declaring national mourning on April 24, 25, and 26, 2025 for the death of Pope Francis.
The decree emphasizes that “Francis was an exceptional Pope, who left a vast legacy of empathy, compassion, and closeness to people, providing present and future generations with an indelible example of religious, human, and civic commitment”.
“His visits to Portugal, during the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima and the World Youth Day, left an indelible mark on our country and created a close and fraternal connection between the Portuguese people and His Holiness“, it states.
“The spirit prevalent during the World Youth Day, expressed in the call for the inclusion of ‘everyone, everyone, everyone,’ which he extended to the world” and his “pontificate faced profound challenges, which Francis embraced with determination and courage,” it continues.
“He also stood out as a promoter of peace, ecumenism, the environment, and interfaith dialogue,” and “was a committed defender of the social doctrine of the Church, the rights of the poor, refugees, the sick, and the elderly“.
“As a rightful tribute from Portugal and its people, the Government finds it appropriate to declare national mourning for three days“, it justifies.
The funeral of Francis is set to take place on April 26, attended by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José-Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the Minister of State, Paulo Rangel, representing the Portuguese state.
Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke, after a 12-year pontificate.
