Portugal's President António José Seguro heads to Rome for official Vatican visit
President António José Seguro arrived in Rome and will meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday morning, after a stop at the Church of Santo António dos Portugueses.
António José Seguro, President of the Portuguese Republic, began a diplomatic trip to Rome on Wednesday, beginning with a visit to the Church of Santo António dos Portugueses, a long-standing haven for Portuguese pilgrims in the city. The following morning he will attend a formal audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, scheduled for 09:00 local time (08:00 in Lisbon). He is also set to meet Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who handles the Holy See’s relations with states and international organisations.
The program includes tours of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, and the President will inaugurate Álvaro Siza Vieira’s new sculpture “Encontro” in the Vatican Gardens. After the Vatican engagements, he will fly back to Portugal on Thursday afternoon. The visit follows a previous invitation by Seguro to the Pope for a possible 2027 trip to Portugal, tied to the 110th anniversary of the Fátima apparitions and other religious milestones.
