Manuel Clemente

Biography and education

Manuel was born on 16 July 1948 at Torres Vedras, Portugal. He joined the Major Seminary of Christ the King of the Groves in 1973 and graduated at the University of Lisbon a year later with the Degree in History. He also received a Degree of Theology in 1979 at the Catholic University of Portugal where he taught Church History from 1975. He also received a Doctorate in Historical Theology with his thesis named In the apostolic origins of contemporary Portugal. The "Catholic Society" (1843-1853)

Priest

Manuel was ordained a priest on 29 June 1979 by Patriarch of Lisbon, António Ribeiro at the age of 31. From then on, he attained several positions. He became the director of Center for the Study of Religious History from 2000-2007. he became the member of the Scientific Society of the Catholic University since 1993 and became Associate Academic Correspondent of the Portuguese Academy of History from 1996. Manuel also became the head of the Foundation for Science and Technology's projects: Church and social movements: Catholic organizations in Portugal in the twentieth century (1993-1995) and The Catholic movement and the presence Church in Portuguese society (1996-1998).

When Manuel was ordained, he was assigned as parochial vicar of Runa in Torres Vedras. In 1989 he was appointed canon of the Lisbon Cathedral and the vice-rector of the Major Seminary of Christ the King Of The Groves until 1997, when he was appointed as president. He was the Coordinator of the Patriarchate in 1996 and coordinator of the Preparatory Commission of the Presbytery Assembly for Jubilee 2000. He is the author of a vast work of historiography, especially titles like Portugal and the Portuguese and a single purpose published in 2009 and Portuguese Church and Society, the Republic of Liberalism.

Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon

He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Lisbon, with the title of Titular Bishop of Pinhel 6 November 1999 by Saint John Paul II. The episcopal consecration took place on 22 January 2000 in the Church of the Jeronimos Monastery with Patriarch D. José Policarpo as principal consecrator along with bishops D. Manuel Franco da Costa de Oliveira Falcão and D. Albino Mamede Cleto. At his consecration he chose his current episcopal motto: In Lumine tuo (In Your Light) .

He was named Promoter of Pastoral Culture in the Portuguese Episcopal Conference in 2002 and he was also the president of the Episcopal Commission of Culture, Cultural and Communications between 2005 and 2011 . It is thus a recognized figure in the Portuguese culture and contributes to the Cultural Ministry in Portugal. Accordingly, Manuel is an excellent communicator and is highly respected by the intellectual circles inside and outside the Church. For many years, he has worked regularly and collaborated with various media outlets.

Bishop of Porto

Manuel was appointed bishop of Porto on 22 February 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI, succeeding D. Armindo Lopes Coelho.He was solemnly installed on 25 March. In 2008 was the first Portuguese bishop to convey the message of Christmas through YouTube. In 2011 he was elected vice-president of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference and was appointed to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Patriarch of Lisbon

Manuel was appointed Patriarch of Lisbon on 18 May 2013 following the acceptance of the resignation of José Policarpo by Pope Francis. He was enthroned on 6 July 2013 at the Lisbon Cathedral and made his solemn entry to the Jerónimos Monastery the following day. In a farewell statement to the diocese of Porto, Manuel makes sure that "the heart has no distance, only depth plus". Because the Patriarch of Lisbon is the Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lisbon, Manuel received the pallium in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, on 29 June.

The Portuguese Episcopal Conference elected him president in 2013 and re-elected him to a three-year term in 2014.

Cardinal

Pope Clement XII, by the Bull Inter Praecipuas Apostolici Ministerii dated 17 February 1737, established in perpetuity that the person appointed Patriarch of Lisbon was elevated to the dignity of cardinal in the consistory next following their election. However, Patriarch Manuel was not created a Cardinal in the first consistory but in the second, on 14 February 2015.

In a message left on the website of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic, Cavaco Silva congratulated Manuel "by this proof of distinction and appreciation of His Holiness Pope Francis." The selection of the bishop of Porto for the position of Patriarchate of Lisbon represented, he wrote, "recognition of the route server of church and academic illustrious man of culture and exemplary citizen." "Portuguese society, which he knows so well, recalls his lucid interventions, moderate, and the deep sense of their social and humanistic action attributes as relevant at the time of great need facing the country," he added. The Foreign Ministry welcomed the appointment with "the warm enthusiasm that deserves the personality of the current Bishop of Porto." "D. Manuel Clemente is recognized as a man of faith, culture and social sensitivity."

On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced that he would make him a cardinal on 14 February. At that ceremony, he was assigned the titular church of Sant'Antonio in Campo Marzio.

In April 2015 Cardinal Macário do Nascimento Clemente was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Clergy and of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He will hold these positions until his 80th birthday.

National Honours

Academic

Others