The president of the Social Pastoral and Human Mobility Commission, D. José Traquina, said this Friday, May 14, at a session at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Piety (Mother Sovereign), in Loulé, that the Catholic Church assumes “social concerns » with the world of tourism, particularly with regard to people working in the sector.
“We cannot only take care of the financial economy, but also a social economy. We need to take care of people», pointed out the bishop of Santarém, in a colloquium promoted in Loulé by the National Secretariat for Social Communications and the National Work of Pastoral Tourism (ONPT), of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic official noted the importance of training tourism professionals and ensuring that they are "duly remunerated."
D. José Traquina noted the challenge of following the sector, by the Catholic Church, "gained strength in Portugal" in the years preceding the pandemic, with the aim of promoting tourism as a "meeting of cultures" and enabling the « acceptance of the spirituality present in the artistic heritage».
Secretary of State for Tourism Rita Marques intervened through a video message, wishing the ONPT «greatest success» and expressing the «total availability» of the Government to «collaborate» in this work.
The official underlined the objective of promoting tourist activity throughout the national territory, valuing "religious tourism".
"Portugal is a route of temples" and "religious festivals", pointed out Rita Marques, who was concerned with the "social and environmental" impact of the tourist phenomenon.
During the session took place the inauguration and presentation of the new ONPT team, for the 2021-2024 triennium, under the direction of Father Miguel Neto, of the Diocese of Algarve, and in the presence of the previous director, Father Carlos Godinho.
Father Miguel Neto pointed out the priorities of his team, in a "frontier sector", seeking to replicate good practices and "communicate" what can be done in this area, within the Church.
The priest assumed the intention of "establishing synergies with public and private entities" and universities, to promote tourist activities that also help the "sustainability" of Catholic communities.
The team proposes to disseminate religious heritage on digital platforms, promote the ONPT days and participate in the next international edition of the World Youth Day, which takes place in Lisbon, in the summer of 2023.
The director of the National Work for the Pastoral of Tourism expressed the organization's availability to help “create a network of churches prepared for tourist visits”.
In the debate on the challenges of the post-pandemic era in tourism, Margarida Franca, member of the ONPT team, stressed that for the Catholic Church it is «deeply essential to show its message, its truth, its sense of belonging» to whom the visit.
The expert pointed out that "a tourist is never just a tourist for religious reasons," but inside a church, "the Catholic tourist is different from an atheist tourist."
For Margarida Franca, valuing the material and immaterial heritage is "an incredible challenge" for Catholic leaders and requires "community involvement."
Alexandra Rodrigues Gonçalves, director of the Superior School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Algarve, spoke of the «very complicated moment» in the region in the face of the «greatest world crisis» of modern times, which affected the way of living, working, traveling and socializing.
"Our whole life has been transformed without equal", he pointed out.
According to the official, there is in this sector "a contribution that the Church can make", together with tourist entities, for a new beginning, in the post-pandemic, in particular among the most vulnerable populations.
"Doing better means looking at the fragility, at the distrust" that is installed in society, he pointed out.
The session took place with in-person participation, at the Mãe Soberana Sanctuary, in Loulé (Diocese do Algarve), and by videoconference.
Photos: Jorge Gomes
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