Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Portugal marked by controversies: Here’s why

Portugal is in the midst of preparing to welcome Pope Francis whose visit is set to be the biggest international event that the country has ever hosted, said Prime Minister Antonio Costa, on Monday (July 31). However, his visit to attend the World Youth Day gathering of young Catholics takes place in the shadow of the Church’s sexual abuse scandal, uncovered less than six months ago.

Pope Francis’ visit to Portugal

Francis is set to travel to the Portuguese capital city Lisbon from August 2 to 6, during which he will also attend the World Youth Day global gathering. According to the Vatican, about 330,000 young people have registered and many more might attend. Meanwhile, Portuguese officials estimate that more than one million people were expected.

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On Monday, Prime Minister Antonio Costacalled it “the biggest international event” Portugal has ever hosted. World Youth Day, an event devised by the late Pope John Paul to form young Catholics in their teens or early 20s takes place every two to three years in different cities.

This will be the first event, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and also the 86-year-old Pope’s first trip since intestinal surgery, last month.

Child sexual abuse in Catholic church

Pope Francis’ visit to Lisbon comes less than six months after the investigation by an independent commission led to the release of a damning report about child abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy in Portugal. According to the report, at least 4,815 minors were sexually abused over 70 years by the clergy – mostly priests.

This Is Our Memorial, an abuse awareness group, ahead of the pope’s visit said that while nothing can “repair” the lives and experiences of the victims, “we can and should do is remember them. Give them a voice. So that what happened never happens again.”

The group is planning to place outdoor signs to raise awareness about clergy sexual abuse. Additionally, a separate protest group, as per Reuters, has planned a demonstration in Lisbon’s Martim Moniz Square, on Friday.

In a press conference on Monday, Lisbon patriarch Manuel Clemente said that the Church was fully committed to addressing the issue.

Will Pope Francis meet with abuse victims?

Previous reports have suggested that Pope Francis will meet with abuse victims, but the meeting has not been confirmed by the Vatican. “This is to facilitate the process of healing, which is always personal, intimate and requires time to listen,” said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, as quoted by Reuters.

The Vatican has also indicated that if the meeting were to take place, it would be announced after the event to ensure privacy.

‘Walk of Shame’ installation

While Lisbon and its officials are in the midst of rolling out the red carpet for Pope Francis, the country’s famed street artist, Bordalo II, rolled out a carpet he called the “Walk of Shame”. The artist broke into a Lisbon venue where Francis will celebrate a mass next week and rolled out a massive carpet of oversized banknotes.

Bordalo II, whose real name is Artur Bordalo, known for his political art pieces often made from garbage, called his latest installation a “Walk of Shame” and criticised how much the state has spent on the event.

The images of the installation shared on Instagram feature huge 500-euro ($551) notes and even a video of how it was rolled out on the stage with the caption, “At a time when many people are fighting to keep their homes, their work and their dignity, millions of public funds have been invested to sponsor the tour of the Italian multinational.”

According to official estimates, the upcoming event will cost at least 161 million euros ($171 million) which is being paid for by the government, the Catholic Church, the city council of Lisbon and nearby Loures, reported Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)

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