Alongside Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, and Luís Montenegro, the Portuguese delegation will also include the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.
The head of state spoke to journalists outside the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Lisbon, where he signed a book of condolences for the death of Pope Francis. He stated that he would depart from Lisbon on the afternoon of April 25, following the solemn session at the Assembly of the Republic.
“I will leave immediately after, at the beginning of the afternoon. In principle, if everything goes as planned, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs will also attend,” he added.
Twenty years ago, at the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the President of the Republic, Jorge Sampaio, and the Foreign Minister at the time, Diogo Freitas do Amaral, represented the Government.
The Portuguese delegation also included former President of the Republic Ramalho Eanes, invited by Jorge Sampaio, and the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee, José Luís Arnaut, representing the Assembly of the Republic.
Pope Francis passed away on Monday at the age of 88, following a 12-year pontificate.
During Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s presidency, Pope Francis visited Portugal twice: on an apostolic visit for the centenary of Fátima in May 2017—which the President attended “as a pilgrim”—and at the World Youth Day in August 2023.
The current head of state has visited the Vatican three times, making it the first destination of his international visits at the beginning of each term in March 2016 and 2021, and returning in January 2023 for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
[News updated at 19:23]
