Portugal

Prayer vigil for John Paul IIThe shrine of Fatima joins other world shrines in a prayer vigil that will take place on April 30th, on the occasion of the beatification of John Paul II. The Marian shrine intends to “joyfully” join “in the worldwide celebrations and initiatives” for the beatification of May 1st. On the night of April 30th (at 20.00 hrs in Lisbon), five shrines will be united in prayer. The initiative, titled ‘Totus Tuus’, will unite the basilica of Guadalupe (Mexico), the shrine of Kawekamo (Tanzania), the shrine of Fatima (Portugal), Krakow (Poland) and the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, in Beirut. In each one of these cities will be recited a mystery of the Rosary, broadcast by the Vatican Television Centre. The prayer celebration in Rome’s Circo Massimo, will be officiated by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar of Benedict XVI for the diocese of Rome. The encounter in Fatima will be chaired by the Bishop Emeritus of Portalegre-Castelo Branco, Bishop Augusto César.The tragedy of abortionThe National Health Board highlighted a downward trend in the number of legal abortions that took place last year, while the Portuguese pro life Federation (FPV) accused the government of “using incomplete data” for “political propaganda”. “It happens each year. In fact, for the 2009 Report – submitted in March 2010 – it registered 18.951 abortions. The figures reviewed in March 2011 show that there have been 19.222 abortions, amounting to 271 more abortions”, the organization recalls in a statement. The new figures presented by the National Board for 2010 indicate that last year there have been 19.436 legal abortions, namely 412 less compared to 2009. 18.911 of these pregnancy interruptions were carried out on the initiative of women (97.3%), 440 for serious diseases or congenital malformations of the newborn (2.26%), 66 to avoid the risk of death or serious and long-lasting physical and mental health disorders (0.34%). FPV recalls that since abortion was legalized in 2007, “the number of voluntary pregnancy interruptions increased by over 50%”. The lack of alternatives “for women involved in the tragedy of abortion” is linked to the crisis, therefore the organization said it hopes that the elections scheduled in June will lead to greater openness to the idea of modifying the ongoing juridical framework: “The Country can no longer continue hiding its head in the sand, regardless of the practical problems underlying the ongoing crisis”.Fernando Pessoa and the BibleWriters Inês Pedrosa and Tolentino Mendonça described Fernando Pessoa’s relationship with the Bible as “restless”. The question of faith isn’t “incidental” for the author of “The Book of Disquiet”, said Pedrosa, director of the Casa Casa Fernando Pessoa institution in Lisbon, which hosted the first session of the seminar-cycle “The Bible, an extraordinary thing”. Pessoa “was in touch with the sacred realm, like all great artists”, he underlined. Although “it cannot be said that he was Catholic”, he was however “a man of faith”. For Pedrosa, evocating Jesus “descended from the heavens to come and play with us” is “a strong document” which indicates the role “that the figure of Christ had for Fernando Pessoa”. The Casa Fernando Pessoa initiative, held in Lisbon on March 31, with the support of the Faculty of Theology, is aimed at expanding the debate on the faith of Pessoa, extending beyond his relationship with the Church and ecclesial institutions. Priest and poet Tolentino Mendonça recalled that Pessoa described the Bible as “something extraordinary”: the most “appropriate definition” of the Scriptures according to the Portuguese author.