Bishop Ornelas Warns Portugal: Reject Xenophobia or Betray Gospel

Visitors to Portugal’s churches this autumn might overhear an unusually forthright homily. The head of the country’s bishops has declared that anyone waving the banner of faith while voicing hostility toward newcomers “cannot claim the Catholic name.” For foreign residents, the statement lands at the crossroads of religion, politics and everyday life in a nation whose future workforce will depend on migration.

A Bishop Draws a Line in the Sand

Dom José Ornelas, the bishop of Leiria-Fátima and current president of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference, stunned reporters on 12 September when he said that the Gospel leaves “no room for xenophobia.” Paraphrasing Jesus’ words—“I do not know you”—he argued that believers who vilify immigrants are, in effect, strangers to the faith they profess. The comment followed the XVI Meeting of Lusophone Bishops in Fátima, where migration topped the agenda. Ornelas also faulted draft nationality rules for privileging “prohibition over inclusion,” warning lawmakers not to turn fear into policy.

Why the Message Matters for Portugal’s Foreign Residents

Portugal’s popularity among digital nomads, Brazilian professionals and African students has driven the foreign population past 1.6 million—roughly 16 % of the country. Yet many arrivals still wonder how welcome they truly are. Ornelas’ intervention provides a powerful counter-signal: the nation’s dominant religious institution is urging parishioners to reject anti-immigrant rhetoric. That moral stance could influence policies on visas, housing and social services, where Church charities such as Caritas already act as vital intermediaries for newcomers.

Behind the Pulpit: Portugal’s Churches and Their New Demographics

Walk into Sunday Mass in Lisbon’s Mouraria district or Porto’s Campanhã parish and you will hear Creole, Hindi or Ukrainian alongside Portuguese. Clergy call parishes “living laboratories of integration” because pews now hold worshippers from more than 80 nationalities. The Church’s migration office, OCPM, is lobbying to install AIMA Spots—mini help desks for residency renewals—inside parish halls. Local faith groups run language classes, job-matching sessions and even pop-up legal clinics to help newcomers navigate bureaucracy that remains in flux after the 2023 abolition of the SEF border service.

Political Undercurrents: Populism Meets the Pew

The bishop’s remarks arrive as the anti-establishment Chega party rides a populist wave. Leader André Ventura quadrupled parliamentary seats in 2024 by warning that Muslim migrants threaten “our women and cities,” rhetoric critics call overtly racist. Church leaders rarely single out parties, but Ornelas’ language—urging officials not to “bow to manipulative populism”—is widely read as a rebuke to such narratives. While the Vatican has remained silent so far, Portuguese Catholics are now forced to reckon with a clash between Christian social teaching and hard-line identity politics.

What Comes Next: Integration Efforts and Church Initiatives

On the ground, dioceses are weaving migration into every layer of pastoral planning. Porto’s 2024-25 roadmap lists migrants among those for whom doors must “open wide.” Évora’s Peregrinos de Esperança program prepares for the 2025 Jubilee, emphasizing migrants as “messengers of hope.” Meanwhile, Caritas Porto reports assisting 16 000 newcomers last year with housing searches, while Jesuit Refugee Service mentors asylum seekers in vocational training. A coalition of Catholic NGOs recently urged Parliament to frame the new immigration bill around “qualificação e dignidade,” arguing that Portugal’s ageing society will gain, not lose, from inclusive policies.

Take-away for Expats

For foreigners contemplating a move—or those already settling in—the bishop’s statement signals that mainstream Portuguese society, at least through its largest faith community, is pushing back against fear-based politics. Expect parish halls to remain safe spaces for language exchange and job advice. Expect public debate on immigration to intensify as elections approach. And, if you ever feel unwelcome, remember that a leading voice in the Portuguese Church has just staked its reputation on this principle: hospitality is not optional—it's doctrinal.