Algarve: Novo bispo assume compromisso na defesa dos migrantes e da justiça social

Bishop Vitorino Soares of Algarve pledged to defend migrants and denounce discrimination in the region following his installation on Saturday. In a joint interview with Renascença and Agência ECCLESIA, Soares stated that the Catholic Church must intervene when facing suffering, hunger, persecution, or loneliness.

The bishop intends to visit every parish in the diocese, spanning from the coast to the aging communities in the interior. He described this goal as a dream to be with priests and pastoral communities regardless of whether they are wealthy, poor, populated, or isolated.

Soares rejected using the Church's response to populism to seek personal prominence, stating that the priority is to help people without creating dependencies. He also expressed a desire to maintain a close, human relationship with his flock, following the calls of Leo XIV for the episcopate to adopt a posture of proximity.