PORTO-WELCOME May-14-2010
In Portugal, pope's spirits buoyed by enthusiastic welcome
By John Thavis Catholic News Service PORTO, Portugal (CNS)
At his last stop in Portugal, Pope Benedict XVI received the kind of welcome that has buoyed his spirits throughout the four-day visit. Residents of the northern city of Porto -- about 150,000 of them -- turned out to cheer, wave, sing and pray May 14 as the pope arrived to celebrate Mass in a central city square. The 83-year-old pope, who has looked a bit beleaguered at the Vatican recently, wore a broad smile as he waved to a multitude that stretched several city blocks. People crowded the balconies and windows of office buildings, which were decorated with three-story-tall flower garlands. Down at street level, the enthusiasm was palpable. Young people wore pope T-shirts, families held homemade posters and everyone seemed to have flags that read: "Bem-vindo Papa Bento" (Welcome Pope Benedict). Many stood for hours in a light rain to attend the papal liturgy. Secularism might have made inroads in Portuguese society, but that didn't dampen the excitement and happiness at hosting the German pope. In Lisbon and Porto, he was given the keys to the city and, more importantly, seemed to have the sympathy of his listeners. "We love the pope, who he is and what he represents," said Elisabete Borges, a 30-year-old Catholic who stood behind a security barrier near the papal altar in Porto. She said Pope Benedict appeals to people because of his intelligence and his willingness to confront the deeper issues in people's lives. Portuguese Catholics, she said, are well aware that the pope has had to deal with problems resulting from the sex abuse crisis. "I think he's helping to clarify the problem. He's not covering it up -- just the opposite -- and it's very important that people know this," she said. ...... The pope and his aides have noticed the outpouring of good will and enthusiasm in Portugal. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the pontiff appeared heartened by the reception at a time of trouble in the church. "What's happened over the last few months, with the problems of the abuse scandal, could lead one to think that attention and energy toward the pope has been weakened, but that hasn't happened," Father Lombardi told reporters May 13. "The fact that the strength of the faith is shown in such an evident way, in this situation, is very encouraging," he said. In Porto, the people expressed gratitude for his visit though a variety of gifts, including a porcelain vase with the city's coat of arms, an anthology of local verse and poetry, and an ultralight guitar constructed of carbon fiber. The most unusual gift was an innovation created by a former Catholic university student in Porto: a "VitalJacket," an electronic T-shirt that clinically monitors a person's heartbeat. This one was specially made in white. Standing on the balcony of the Porto City Hall, Pope Benedict told the crowd he would happily extend his visit, but he had to return to Rome. All along the pope's motorcade route to the airport, residents hung out their best tablecloths and bedspreads as a visual greeting. In his farewell address at the Porto airport, the pope told Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva and the crowd that gathered to say goodbye: "I shall long remember the heartfelt and affectionate welcome that you accorded me, the warmth and spontaneity with which bonds of communion were established with the groups that I was able to encounter."
Photos Pope Benedict XVI in Oporto
