Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday at the age of 88, the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (Social Democratic Party), announced at a memorial mass for the Catholic Church leader that he would propose to the city council the renaming of Parque Tejo to Parque Papa Francisco.
Inquiries were made regarding when the proposal would be discussed at the city council meeting, including whether it would be during the public session on Wednesday. However, it was clarified that there is no scheduled date yet.
Located on approximately 100 hectares of land within the municipalities of Lisbon and Loures, Parque Tejo was developed following the transformation of the Beirolas landfill into a green park.
Parque Tejo was a key venue during the World Youth Day in August 2023, which saw the participation of Pope Francis and attracted approximately 1.5 million attendees.
Reacting to Carlos Moedas’ proposal, the Socialist Party council members in Lisbon expressed agreement with the tribute to the Pope, who visited Portugal twice and hosted the World Youth Day in Lisbon. They emphasized, however, the need for significant development in the area to ensure it is not just an empty space named after the Pope.
Rui Tavares, a councilor from the Livre party, criticized the proposal, arguing that changing the name of a location requires serious consideration. He reminded that the local naming rules dictate a five-year waiting period after a person’s death before renaming a street or space, unless special exceptions are considered collectively.
The municipal regulations indicate that naming should only occur five years posthumously unless an exception is thoroughly justified. The Citizens for Lisbon councilors (elected through the PS/Livre coalition) stressed their concern extends beyond the name to the utilization and condition of Parque Tejo, noting the renaming proposal has not yet been circulated.
Even without formal proposal terms, the Portuguese Communist Party expressed no opposition to naming Parque Tejo after Pope Francis, advocating that the park should be a genuinely green space, with trees and amenities.
The Left Bloc councilors deferred their stance until they could access the proposal.
Given the autonomy of each municipal council, the Loures executive body, led by Ricardo Leão (Socialist Party), plans to formalize the naming decision during the ordinary meeting on April 30. A source from Ricardo Leão’s office indicated an ongoing reference to the site as Parque Papa Francisco, even before World Youth Day, citing local signage as evidence.
The new green park in Loures was set to open in February but remains incomplete, with no specified completion date available.
The Lisbon side, which hosted the 10th edition of Rock in Rio in June 2024, reported in August that while the green park had been completed, further enhancements were expected for better public enjoyment.
A pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Trancão River, also developed for World Youth Day, connects Lisbon and Loures at Parque Tejo. Controversy arose earlier when the Lisbon Mayor announced the bridge would be named Ponte Cardeal Dom Manuel Clemente without prior executive council voting, leading to backlash and a public petition challenging the decision.
Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon eventually declined the honor, citing divisiveness concerns. Various new naming suggestions, including Ponte Noé and São Francisco de Assis, have emerged, with a proposal for a public consultation process. Yet, the bridge remains unnamed more than a year later.
In August 2023, a petition urged the mayors of Lisbon and Loures to officially name the Tejo-Trancão Urban Park after Pope Francis to commemorate this significant event for the two cities.
Pope Francis, born in Buenos Aires, passed away on Monday from a stroke at age 88, concluding a 12-year papacy. His final public appearance occurred on Easter Sunday at the Vatican, before his death on the following day.
Portugal declared three days of national mourning in his honor.
