With its sixth cardinal on the way and a papal visit to Lisbon last month, a new special relationship between Portugal and the Vatican is being forged. William Cash investigates.
For this year’s World Youth Day (WYD) at the start of August, Pope Francis became a spiritual magnet for a million and a half youthful pilgrims who descended on Lisbon as if it were a Catholic Woodstock. The vast religious circus came from all backgrounds and countries, staying in pilgrim hostels, campsites and people’s homes. Dignitaries headed to the Lapa Palace Hotel, in the diplomatic quarter, where King Charles stayed on his last visit to Lisbon. It is apparently more comfortable than the British Embassy.
