The Portuguese government declared a national day of mourning in honor of Pope Francis, following his death on April 21, expressing the nation’s respect and recognition of his contributions to global peace and social justice.
The Portuguese government also declared three days of national mourning from April 24 to 26. During this period, flags across the country will be flown at half-mast, and official events are scheduled to honor the Pope’s memory.
Expressing his condolences, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa described Pope Francis as “perhaps the most courageous voice among the spiritual leaders of the last 12 years,” highlighting his unwavering defense of human dignity, peace, justice, freedom, equality, and interfaith dialogue.
The President praised the Pope’s humility, noting that he “carried the humility of a parish priest into every audience,” never allowing the weight of his position to distance him from those he served.
He referred to the Pope as “a voice for the poorest, most fragile, excluded and forgotten,” and expressed gratitude on behalf of all Portuguese people for his advocacy on behalf of those affected by injustice and conflict. The President concluded by stating that Pope Francis was “a beacon of hope to all who yearn for a world built on compassion and respect for every human life.”
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced the mourning period and confirmed that Portugal would be represented at the highest level at the funeral in Rome. The Portuguese delegation includes President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Assembly of the Republic José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel.
In the meantime, the solemn celebrations of April 25th have been postponed to May 1st, commemorating the Carnation Revolution of 1974, while the traditional popular events, such as the parade in Lisbon, will proceed as scheduled. The government made this decision in light of the national mourning declared following the death of Pope Francis, emphasizing the importance of honoring the nation’s democratic history and the Pope’s legacy.
Pope Francis had a profound connection with Portugal. He visited the country on two occasions, first in 2017 and most recently from August 2 to August 6, 2023, for World Youth Day—a major international Catholic event held in Lisbon. The closing Mass, celebrated at Parque Tejo, drew approximately 1.5 million attendees.
A defining moment of the visit was his now-famous appeal, “todos, todos, todos” (“everyone, everyone, everyone”), a call still echoed today by many young Catholics as a symbol of a Church open to all.
During the 2023 visit, he also made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima on August 5, one of the most revered Marian sites in the Catholic world.
Pope Francis visited Fátima for the first time on May 12–13, 2017, to mark the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima (1917–2017). During this visit, he canonized Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the three shepherd children who witnessed the Marian apparitions. Deeply symbolic, the visit attracted hundreds of thousands of pilgrims worldwide.
Pope Francis’s funeral memorial is scheduled to start on Saturday, April 26, in St. Peter’s Square, with dignitaries and faithful from around the world in attendance. His body lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica from April 23 to 25, allowing the public to pay their respects. The Pope’s final resting place is at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in central Rome.
The Vatican declared a nine-day mourning period, known as the Novemdiales, beginning on the day of the funeral. This period includes daily Masses and prayers for Pope Francis’s soul.
Carolina Matos/Editor/Reviewed and updated to reflect new developments.
Quotes by Pope Francis in Portugal in 2023
Embracing Courage and Dreams
“Have the courage, then, to replace your doubts with dreams. Replace your doubts with dreams: do not remain hostage to your fears, but set about working to realize your goals!”
Inclusivity in the Church
“In the Church, there is room for everyone! Room for everyone! No one is useless, no one is superfluous; there is room for everyone. As we are, all of us.”
Personal Connection with God
“We were not automatically called; we were called by name. Let’s think about this: Jesus called me by my name. They are words written in the heart.
Authenticity and Self-Acceptance
“May these be days in which to fix in the heart that we are loved as we are, not as we would like to be: as we are now. This is the starting point of WYD, but above all the starting point of life. Boys and girls: we are loved as we are, without makeup!”
Compassion and Service
“The only way, the only situation in which it is permissible to look at a person from above is… say it…, strongly: to help them get up.”
Radiating Light Through Love
“We do not become luminous when we exhibit a perfect, well-ordered, well-finished image, no; nor if we feel strong and successful, strong and successful, but not luminous. We become luminous, we shine when, by accepting Jesus, we learn to love like Him.”
Active Love and Service
“Those who love do not stand idly by, but serve others. Those who love hasten to serve, hasten to dedicate themselves to the service of others.”
Encouragement to Spread Love
“I want to tell you: carry on, keep riding the waves of love, of charity. Be ‘surfers’ of love!”
