Deputies to grant amnesty in 2025? “Unacceptable”

Suggestion from the Bishop of Setúbal, because of the Jubilee of the Catholic Church and the 25th of April. Amnesty for prisoners would be a sign of “hope”.

The Bishop of Setúbal, Américo Aguiar, this Sunday urged the parliamentarians Portuguese to consider a amnesty in the context of the 2025 Jubilee of the Catholic Church and the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April.

In a message written with the title “Hope and Mercy”, the bishop of Setúbal recalls the amnesty surrounding World Youth Day (WYD) that took place in Lisbon in 2023 with the presence of Pope Francis and leaves a request.

“The amnesty surrounding WYD Lisbon 2023, contrary to what was desired, unfortunately had a negative impact on so many sisters and brothers. I ask, I urge our illustrious parliamentarians to reflect and consider an amnesty in the context of this Universal Jubilee and 50 years of Democracy“, says Américo Aguiar.

The bishop of Setúbal talks about the Jubilee 2025 proclamation leaflet that defends an amnesty for prisoners, as a sign of “hope”, and quotes Pope Francis.

“Pope Francis told us: I propose that governments, in the Jubilee year, take initiatives that restore hope to prisoners. Forms of amnesty or pardon of sentence, which help people to regain confidence in themselves and in society; reintegration paths into the community, which correspond to a concrete commitment to comply with the laws”, says the message.

Before, the Bishop of Setúbal addresses the private institutions of social solidarity, the Misericórdias and repeats the words “all, all, all”, said by the Pope in Lisbon on the occasion of WYD, to make another appeal: “if it is economically and financially possible forgive personal/individual debts”.

“I announce the forgiveness of all personal debts to the diocese of Setúbal until today. I ask the same of all institutions under our direct or indirect supervision (…). I will do the same in a personal capacity and I invite and urge you, sisters and brothers, women and men of good will, to forgive personal debts”, he adds.

A Diocese of Setúbal lives a double jubilee year: the Holy Year of 2025 and 50 years since the creation of the diocese (1975/2025).

The Jubilee is a celebration of the Catholic Church, held every 25 years, which brings together various celebrations to mark faith and respond to the challenges of each era.

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis marked, with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the beginning of the Jubilee of the Catholic Church, which is expected to attract around 32 million pilgrims to Rome.

This is the first ordinary jubilee of Pope Francis, who now follows the tradition of, every 25 years, celebrating a “Holy Year” dedicated to “consolidating faith and solidarity”, during which the Church grants indulgences or forgiveness of sins.

Francis dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope and underlined that message when he opened the Holy Door on Thursday at Rome’s Rebibbia prison in an attempt to give inmates hope for a better future.

“Unacceptable”

Paulo Ferreira is contra interference, or mixture, between different powers and sectors of the country.

“The decisions that Américo Aguiar takes in relation to the diocese of Setúbal are absolutely legitimate. But the interference of political power in the judicial power is enough“.

“Now comes the Vatican, from Rome, saying that we must forgive sentences here in Portugal. Sorry, is not acceptable. These are signs that come from antiquity and extend over time: the arrival of the Pope cannot serve as justification“, he warned on the radio.

O Jubilee is a “date of the Church, and only of the Church. We are not going to turn it into a national celebration – because it is not”, he added.