President António José Seguro has formally invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Portugal in 2027, a year that will carry exceptional religious, diplomatic, and historical significance for the country.
The invitation coincides with the 110th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fátima, the 500th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, and the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
The invitation announced by the President Seguro describes the occasion as an opportunity to celebrate Portugal’s longstanding ties with the Holy See and its enduring Catholic heritage.
In a statement, the Presidency noted that “the visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will undoubtedly constitute an opportunity to deepen the relationship between the Portuguese State and the Holy See.”
In February 2026, former President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was received in an official audience at the Vatican by Pope Leo XIV, during which the president formally invited the Holy Father to visit Portugal.
In March 2026, the Apostolic Nuncio of Lisbon, Andrés Carrascosa Coso, stated that the Pope will “certainly” visit Fátima, reflecting confidence within diplomatic and ecclesiastical circles that the Holy Father will visit Portugal in the near future.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV has expressed a clear desire to visit Portugal, fueling growing expectations that a future papal trip will include the Sanctuary of Fátima. The year 2027 is expected to draw millions of pilgrims and visitors from around the world to Portugal, particularly to the Sanctuary of Fátima, one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage destinations globally.
The invitation continues a longstanding tradition of papal visits to Portugal. Pope John Paul II visited the country three times—in 1982, 1991, and 2000—largely in connection with pilgrimages to Fátima. Pope Benedict XVI visited Portugal in 2010, while Pope Francis traveled to the country in 2017 for the centenary celebrations of the Fátima apparitions and the canonization of Francisco and Jacinta, and again in 2023 for World Youth Day in Lisbon.
PAJ/Staff
