António Ferreira Gomes
Encyclopedia
Dom António Ferreira Gomes (Milhundos, Penafiel
, 10 May 1906 - Ermesinde
, 13 April 1989) was a Portuguese Roman Catholic bishop. He was one of the most notable figures of the Portuguese Catholic hierarchy of the 20th century, being forced to a 10 years exile outside Portugal due to his opposition to the fascist regimen.
He was first appointed by Pope Pius XII
to be bishop of Portalegre, from 1949 to 1952. He would be appointed bishop of Porto
, in 1952, a position that he would held until 1982.
A believer in the Catholic social doctrine, emphazised by Pius XII specially after the World War II, he was widely sympathetic to the Democratic Opposition candidate at the 1958 presidential elections, general Humberto Delgado
, himself a Catholic and a former supporter of the Estado Novo. He was unable to vote in those elections for being outside Portugal at the time, for political pressions. D. António Ferreira Gomes decided to write a letter to the Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar
, at 13 July 1958, the month after the presidential elections. The letter, which was meant to be private, acknowledged his former admiration for Salazar and some of his politics in the first years of the regimen, but ultimately criticized his social politics for being promoters of poverty and social inequality, being against some of the basic tenants recognized by the catholic social doctrine, like the right to strike and to political association. D. António accused Salazar of instead of fighting communism with his reactionary politics being promoting it, since they gave reason to many of the fair demands of the communists. The bishop suggested that the regimen should start many political reforms who eventually would lead to a true democracy in Portugal, more according with the Catholic Church social doctrine, like it was being promoted by Pius XII. The letter asked for a private meeting between the bishop and Salazar to debate these issues.
Salazar was outraged by the letter, since it broke the traditional subserviency of the Portuguese Catholic Church hierarchy to the regimen, and refused to answer it. However he was unable to act against the bishop, since he hadn't committed any crime according to the Portuguese legislation. Salazar decided to act more cynically, so when the bishop was returning to Portugal in 1959, after a trip to Italy, he was denied entrance in Portugal. Salazar tried several times to have the bishop resigned, but he always refused. In a letter to the Portuguese ambassador at the Vatican, Salazar called D. António Ferreira Gomes "a sick person and the greatest evil was having made him a bishop". He wasn't even allowed to return to Portugal to attend his mother funeral. His exile abroad would last until finally the new Council President Marcello Caetano allowed his return in 1969.
In the last years of the regimen, D. António kept a low profile while being a reference for the Catholic wing of the Democratic Opposition, to which he was widely sympathetic. In the aftermath of the revolution that overthrown the fascist regimen, at 25 April 1974, he warned against both the dangers of "philosophical materialism" and "money materialism".
He resigned from the diocesis of Porto in 1982 and died in 1989.
His legacy, as a bishop of the Portuguese Catholic Church who stood against the fascist regimen in defense of the Catholic doctrine remains controversial, specially amongst the most conservative factions of the clergy.
Penafiel
Penafiel Municipality is located in Porto District in the North of Portugal.The municipal areas surrounding Penafiel City have a population of 71,801 and are made up of 38 parishes, comprising 212,82 km²....
, 10 May 1906 - Ermesinde
Ermesinde
Ermesinde is a Portuguese city located in the municipality of Valongo, 9 km northeast from Porto. It has a population of about 40,000 inhabitants and an area of about 7 km². This means that although being the smallest of the civil parishes in Valongo's municipality, it's the most highly...
, 13 April 1989) was a Portuguese Roman Catholic bishop. He was one of the most notable figures of the Portuguese Catholic hierarchy of the 20th century, being forced to a 10 years exile outside Portugal due to his opposition to the fascist regimen.
He was first appointed by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
to be bishop of Portalegre, from 1949 to 1952. He would be appointed bishop of Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, in 1952, a position that he would held until 1982.
A believer in the Catholic social doctrine, emphazised by Pius XII specially after the World War II, he was widely sympathetic to the Democratic Opposition candidate at the 1958 presidential elections, general Humberto Delgado
Humberto Delgado
Humberto da Silva Delgado, GCL was a General of the Portuguese Air Force and politician.Delgado was born in Brogueira, Torres Novas. He was the son of Joaquim Delgado and wife Maria do Ó Pereira and had three younger sisters, Deolinda, Aida and Lídia....
, himself a Catholic and a former supporter of the Estado Novo. He was unable to vote in those elections for being outside Portugal at the time, for political pressions. D. António Ferreira Gomes decided to write a letter to the Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
, at 13 July 1958, the month after the presidential elections. The letter, which was meant to be private, acknowledged his former admiration for Salazar and some of his politics in the first years of the regimen, but ultimately criticized his social politics for being promoters of poverty and social inequality, being against some of the basic tenants recognized by the catholic social doctrine, like the right to strike and to political association. D. António accused Salazar of instead of fighting communism with his reactionary politics being promoting it, since they gave reason to many of the fair demands of the communists. The bishop suggested that the regimen should start many political reforms who eventually would lead to a true democracy in Portugal, more according with the Catholic Church social doctrine, like it was being promoted by Pius XII. The letter asked for a private meeting between the bishop and Salazar to debate these issues.
Salazar was outraged by the letter, since it broke the traditional subserviency of the Portuguese Catholic Church hierarchy to the regimen, and refused to answer it. However he was unable to act against the bishop, since he hadn't committed any crime according to the Portuguese legislation. Salazar decided to act more cynically, so when the bishop was returning to Portugal in 1959, after a trip to Italy, he was denied entrance in Portugal. Salazar tried several times to have the bishop resigned, but he always refused. In a letter to the Portuguese ambassador at the Vatican, Salazar called D. António Ferreira Gomes "a sick person and the greatest evil was having made him a bishop". He wasn't even allowed to return to Portugal to attend his mother funeral. His exile abroad would last until finally the new Council President Marcello Caetano allowed his return in 1969.
In the last years of the regimen, D. António kept a low profile while being a reference for the Catholic wing of the Democratic Opposition, to which he was widely sympathetic. In the aftermath of the revolution that overthrown the fascist regimen, at 25 April 1974, he warned against both the dangers of "philosophical materialism" and "money materialism".
He resigned from the diocesis of Porto in 1982 and died in 1989.
His legacy, as a bishop of the Portuguese Catholic Church who stood against the fascist regimen in defense of the Catholic doctrine remains controversial, specially amongst the most conservative factions of the clergy.