Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made his first public appearance on Wednesday, March 18th, following his departure from the Palácio de Belém on March 9th.
Former President Addresses Contemporary Issues
The former President of the Republic presented the book “Pensar a Constituição à Luz da Doutrina Social da Igreja” (Thinking about the Constitution in the Light of the Social Doctrine of the Church) at the Universidade Católica in Lisbon. Although not directly addressing the Middle East, he spoke about the various wars spreading across the world, including in the digital realm, as reported by Rádio Renascença.
“It’s immoral to allow weapons of all kinds, as well as the algorithms that support them, to fire and kill to decide military, cultural, social, behavioral wars and peace, without human control,” Rebelo de Sousa stated. He emphasized the necessity of the work by the Associação de Juristas Católicos (Association of Catholic Jurists) to “exorcise pasts that have passed or have not known how to intuit futures.”
The former Head of State also touched upon the topic of euthanasia, albeit discreetly, at a time when the Government is refusing to advance with the regulation of the law approved during the absolute majority of the PS (Socialist Party).
“We are fresh in time and space, in science, in technology, in the digital age and its legal regulation. And of the new generations of rights and duties, in cascade, and of neo-statism, and of neoliberalism, of the urgency of defending life, the person, health, communication, participation, of a personalism that may be, believer or non-believer, but truly personalism,” he defended, also recalling the vote declaration he made for the Constitution of 1976 due to the lack of “express reference to the dignity of the human person and freedom of education.”
Addressing Unmet Goals and Future Challenges
When questioned by Renascença about not achieving his goal of providing shelter for all homeless people by the end of his presidential term, Marcelo argued that “new challenges” had emerged. He stated, “What I can say is that, faced with new challenges, and new challenges have arisen over these 10 years and will arise in the next 10, 15, 20 years, the answers must, in many cases, be different,” underlining the importance of love.
“It seems to be not only the challenge of Leo XIV, but of all of us, wanderers in this earthly world,” he considered.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had previously promised to “leave the stage” upon leaving the Palácio de Belém, despite his friends’ belief that he would be unable to remain silent. He guaranteed he would not comment on or write about Portuguese political life, stating, “I have friends who bet this will be a short-lived silence, but I have been on the public scene for so long that it is time to give way to others.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa present?
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa presented the book “Pensar a Constituição à Luz da Doutrina Social da Igreja” (Thinking about the Constitution in the Light of the Social Doctrine of the Church).
When did Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa leave the Palácio de Belém?
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa left the Palácio de Belém on March 9th.
What did Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa say about commenting on Portuguese political life?
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa guaranteed he would not comment on or write about Portuguese political life.
What role will former leaders play in shaping public discourse, even after leaving office?
