The protest vote presented by the CDU against the sale of properties in the Eirinhas neighborhood and Miragaia by the Diocese of Porto received unanimous approval from all political parties.
Tiago Barbosa Ribeiro of the Socialist Party (PS) expressed that the transaction conducted by the diocese was “very strange,” arguing that the church should hold a social role in managing its assets.
Highlighting the anxiety experienced by residents of Eirinhas, Ribeiro stressed that the city should utilize all legal options to prevent urban developments in the area.
“We believe that the Church is not fulfilling its social role in Porto,” he stated.
In response, Porto’s Mayor, who had previously criticized the diocese’s actions along with the bishop’s response, suggested that the city might move toward classifying the Eirinhas houses for protection.
“While this doesn’t ensure the residents’ stay, initiating the process could provide some protection,” Rui Moreira clarified.
Sharing the PS’s view, social-democrat councilor Mariana Ferreira Macedo also questioned the transaction, lamenting the “barriers, walls, and silences” between the diocese and the city council.
“Understanding this transaction is difficult. While some elements may be missing, the hardest thing to deal with is when we don’t understand something,” she said, emphasizing the need for the church to “explain better.”
Joana Rodrigues from the CDU, who stepped in for Ilda Figueiredo during the meeting, hoped for the diocese to act differently in the future.
“Let this vote encourage the diocese toward a different approach,” she mentioned, deeming the deal “completely incorrect.”
BE councilor Sérgio Aires also found the deal “legally strange,” stating, “This is certainly not Pope Francis’s church.”
“It’s incomprehensible that they use assets that aren’t even theirs, given for a specific purpose,” Aires commented, advocating for “calling the Church to attention and reason.”
During the discussion, Mayor Rui Moreira revealed plans to write to the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Ivo Scapolo, to express the municipality’s concerns and assert that “the Church is not behaving in line with Porto’s traditions.”
Rui Moreira further declared that he would refrain from approving any measures that would contribute financially to the Catholic Church for the remainder of his term.
The Eirinhas houses, owned by the diocese, were exchanged, with the new owner being a construction company. This has raised fears among residents about potential displacement.
In a statement on its official website, the Diocese of Porto clarified that the property exchanges, which have attracted criticism, were not intended to generate profit for other ventures.
This clarification followed reports suggesting the diocese swapped three four-story buildings in Miragaia for three T1 apartments, each valued at 200,000 euros.
The reports estimated each building was worth at least 1.5 million euros.
