Going up the Bom Jesus elevator is like an «ecological pilgrimage»

Archbishop of Braga presided over the opening of the celebrations for the 140th anniversary of the funicular.

The opening of the “Estância Elevada” exhibition marked the opening, today, of the commemorations of the 140th anniversary of the Bom Jesus Elevator.

The Archbishop of Braga, who presided over the session, considered that taking a trip in this unique and iconic means of transport is like an ecological and eucological pilgrimage.

«The elevator is used to go up and when going up, as if we transcend ourselves, we can contemplate the beauty of creation, and also pray with a fuller heart, and then we have to go down and return to the city, to everyday life, so that life has even more sense, this sense of fullness that we find in Bom Jesus», began by referring to the Archbishop of Braga at the opening ceremony of the Commemorations of the 140th anniversary of this means of transport, the first to be built in the Iberian Peninsula and the oldest in the world in terms of operation with water counterpress system.

D. José Cordeiro took the Bom Jesus Elevator the day after the beginning of his pastoral ministry in Braga (February 13), accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio, and said that it was a “very pleasant” trip.

«It is like an ecological and eucological pilgrimage. Because here eucology is linked to prayer and the encounter with God and with others and each one with himself and with the beauty of creation”, he described.

The opening of the exhibition took place at the Centro de Memórias do Bom Jesus, next to the Basilica, with the presence of the Mesa da Confraria, the councilor for Culture of the Braga Chamber, Carla Sepúlveda, the provider of Misericórdia de Braga, Ricardo Reis, the representative of Porto e Norte Tourism in Braga, Marco Sousa, the president of the Braga Business Association, Macedo Barbosa, among other guests.

Author: Jorge Oliveira, Diário do Minho