Igreja/Portugal: «Na Igreja, a autoridade nunca é domínio, é serviço. O governo nunca é poder, é cuidado» – D. Vitorino Soares

Vitorino Soares took possession as the new bishop of the Algarve during a ceremony at the Faro Cathedral on September 19, 2026. During his homily, Soares stated that authority in the Church is service rather than domination, and that governing is an act of care rather than an exercise of power. He explained that a bishop does not walk ahead due to superiority but to open paths of hope, acting as a servant to Christ rather than an owner of the flock.

The installation ceremony was presided over by the Archbishop of Évora, Francisco Senra Coelho. The Apostolic Nuncio, Andrés Carrascosa Coso, read the appointment from Pope Leo XIV.

Soares noted that a pastor risks becoming a mere manager without friendship with Christ, and that the mission becomes a burden without prayer. He described the Algarve as a unique region characterized by its openness to the sea and its diverse population of people from different continents, cultures, and religious beliefs.