Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke to journalists upon arrival in Rome, where he will have dinner today with the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, before his audience with Pope Leo XIV, in the Vatican, on Monday morning
The President of the Republic confirmed today that he will invite Pope Leo XIV to visit Portugal in 2027 and thanked him for the message he sent to the Portuguese of condolence for the victims of Storm Kristin.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was speaking to journalists upon arrival in Rome, where he will have dinner today with the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, before his audience with Pope Leo XIV, in the Vatican, on Monday morning.
Asked about the topics he will address in the meeting with the Pope, the head of state replied that he will “invite him to go to Portugal next year”, arguing: “It’s 110 years of Fátima and, therefore, there is a good reason to include Fátima and, therefore, Portugal in the visit program”.
The President of the Republic said that the two will “naturally talk about the world” and that he will take the opportunity to “effectively explain what was” the passage of the Kristin depression through mainland Portugal, which caused a trail of destruction, especially in the districts of Leiria, Coimbra and Santarém.
Regarding the effects of Storm Kristin, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that “His Holiness had a spectacular gesture, which was a letter addressed to the Portuguese two days ago, which basically corresponded to his state of mind: he was very, very worried”.
In the message, sent to the president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP), José Ornelas, bishop of Leiria-Fátima, on Friday, the Pope communicated “his sorrow for the people who lost their lives, spiritually uniting with the pain of their families”.
“It means that he is following what is happening in Portugal with a very particular affection, which is touching”, he considered.
Regarding the global situation, the head of state defended that the positions that Pope Leo
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also commented that Pope Leo XIV is “very attentive” to what is happening in Portuguese-speaking countries.
“So, you will certainly ask me: what is the Portuguese-speaking world like, how do you see the situation in Guinea-Bissau, how do you see the situation in Angola, how do you see the situation in Mozambique, how do you see the situation in other countries in the Portuguese-speaking world, how do you see the situation in Europe”, he predicted.
