The Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Education and Culture of the Holy See, Cardinal D. José Tolentino de Mendonça, visited the Bom Jesus Sanctuary before the annual pilgrimage to Sameiro (June 2nd).

Accompanied by the President of the Confraria, Canon Mário Martins, the envoy of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 5th National Eucharistic Congress had the opportunity to learn about all the work carried out at this Sanctuary in favor of evangelization, heritage preservation, environmental protection, and the promotion of hospitality to all who visit Bom Jesus.

Taking advantage of the occasion of the National Eucharistic Congress, Canon Mário Martins, in addition to emphasizing the spiritual/cultural and touristic dimensions, highlighted the educational and cultural aspect that also characterizes the action of this sanctuary, especially in the areas of music, literature, thought, school and academic education, heritage, and art. He elucidated Cardinal D. Tolentino on the Eucharistic dimensions of this Sanctuary, in the context of experiencing the 5th National Eucharistic Congress in Braga. Thus, he highlighted, first, the chalice of the stairway, visible by the central stone elements of the Stairway of the Five Senses and the Stairway of the Three Virtues.

Next, he emphasized the Pelican Fountain, in the circular courtyard that separates the Stairway of the Virtues from the churchyard of the Basilica, which tears its breast to feed its young with its own flesh, being another symbolic element that reminds us of the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ, He who gives His own flesh to feed others.

Finally, the President of the confraternity referred to the Chapel of the Encounter at Emmaus, the last of the set of 19 chapels, which, on the exterior, at the top of the entrance, presents the Lucan passage from the Bible: “Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis,” translated as “they recognized him in the breaking of the bread”, referring us to the motto of the Congress “Sharing the Bread, Nourishing Hope. ‘They recognized Him in the breaking of the bread’ (Luke 24:35)”.

Cardinal D. Tolentino visited and prayed in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, admired the faith of the pilgrims of Bom Jesus, marked in the feet of the image of Bom Jesus do Monte, the “Lord of Miracles”.

Subsequently, he went to the headquarters of the Confraternity, where he signed the guestbook and left a message of encouragement and praise for the work that has been carried out at Bom Jesus, a World Heritage Site, the only one in Portugal belonging to the Church, encouraging the Confraternity to continue the work developed, for the good of all and of the Church, considering the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus a good example of embracing the message of the Gospel and love for others.

In his words, he emphasized that “Bom Jesus do Monte is a magnificent example of the new paths that the Church needs to take to proclaim the faith to men and women today. The combination of art and nature, spirituality and leisure, reflects an important and pressing need today to speak about Jesus.”