Migrações/Algarve: D. Vitorino Soares chega a diocese que é «um caldeamento de povos» e onde «nunca houve exclusão», diz padre Carlos Aquino

Bishop Vitorino Soares has arrived in the Diocese of Algarve, a region Father Carlos Aquino describes as a melting pot of different cultures, languages, and peoples.

The parish priest of Loulé told Agência Ecclesia that migrants have never been an obstacle in the diocese but have instead helped drive the southern region of Portugal forward through their work and resilience. Father Aquino noted that while the Algarve is often viewed solely as a tourism hub, immigrants provide an essential impulse to the local economy and society.

Father Aquino stated that the diocese has a history of welcoming people rather than excluding them, regardless of the circumstances that brought them to the area. He credited local city councils with playing a major role in welcoming foreigners, specifically mentioning past efforts to create spaces in cooperation with the Church to assist people fleeing war.