25 April 2020
The first known appearance of organized Christianity in Japan was the arrival of the Portuguese Catholics in 1549. Spanish missionary Francis Xavier arrived in Japan with three Japanese Catholic converts intending to start a church in Japan. The local Japanese people initially assumed that the foreigners were from India and that Christianity was a new […]
Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World
25 April 2020
Since 1974 the Portuguese nation has been celebrating “Dia da Liberdade” [Freedom Day], with a national holiday on 25th April Revolution, to mark the bloodless military coup which brought democracy and civil liberties to modern Portugal. This year, due to the COVID19 epidemic, the celebrations have been simplified to a shorter non-public ceremony in the […]
Posted in Azores, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Organizations, People, Portugal, World
20 April 2020
Due to the COVID19 pandemic, Pope Francis has cancelled his pastoral visit to Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022, to preside to the World Youth Day – the Vatican announced this Monday. The event was postponed to August 2023. According to the announcement, “given the current health situation and its consequences, the Holy Father decided to postpone […]
Posted in Featured, Organizations, People, Portugal, Religion, World
15 April 2020
Among the many consequences of Spain’s annexation of Portugal from 1580 to 1640 was an increase in the number of Portuguese authors writing in Spanish. One can trace this practice as far back as the medieval period, although it was through Gil Vicente, Jorge de Montemayor, and others that Spanish-language texts entered the mainstream of […]
Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World
11 April 2020
This Saturday, Portugal has confirmed 470 deaths associated with the COVID19 pandemic, with 15,987 infected, according to official sources. The state of emergency was extended by another 15 days, to end April 17, as more measures to restrict movements were implemented, including during the Easter holiday weekend. Except for health reasons or imperative urgency, people […]
Posted in Azores, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People, Portugal, Travel, World
11 April 2020
By Len Port During Easter, people of faith will be among those supporting the COVID-19 emergency measures imposed by politicians on the advice of scientists. All places of worship in Portugal will remain closed at least until April 17 – and longer should the present state of emergency be extended. Catholics, by far the largest […]
Posted in Azores, Community, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Organizations, People, Portugal, Religion, World
