WYD: Marcelo wants Portugal to stand out, but asks for attention to “economic and social circumstances”
The President of the Republic insists that, contrary to what the Catholic Church had assured SIC, he was not informed of the value of the stage-altar for the World Youth Days. The auxiliary bishop has also come to deny the statements of the Patriarchate.
“The Church, rightly, denied what had come in a note from the Patriarchate and which had provoked my astonishment”, declared the President of the Republic.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says that it is necessary to wait for the meetings between the various responsible entities – among them the municipalities of Lisbon and Loures – and the foundation that organizes the event.
the president will not attend these meetings “because it does not have that responsibility”, but what is happening will be kept up to date, revealed the head of state.
Marcelo still says he is “sensitive” to the compatibility of two objectives: that WYDs be a portugal projection in the world and that “take into account economic and social circumstances” from the country.
The President of the Republic declined to answer whether he had made any contact with a view to reducing costs, but according to the Expresso newspaper suggested lowering the value of the stage-altar and building, in his own words, a “little altar” instead of the second stage that will be placed in Parque Eduardo VII.