General Council organizes the 3rd  Summit of Portuguese-speaking countries

This meeting was organized in Rome, taking advantage of the presence of the national presidents of 8 Portuguese-speaking countries, who had traveled to the Italian capital for the SSVP General Assembly and other events held during the same week.

During the whole day of June 18, and once the events in Rome were over, the national presidents of the Portuguese-speaking SSVP countries held a very fruitful meeting to bring positions closer and develop collaboration between them. The use of the same language always facilitates cultural exchange and communication. 

In the first part of the meeting, delegates of the 8 participating countries (Portugal, Brazil, Sao Tome and Principe, Angola, Mozambique, Timor Leste, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau) gave a brief status report. This report was very important to learn about the current situation in all the countries and, in this way, to discuss avenues of collaborations and alliances among them. 

At noon, the participants went to St. Peter’s Square to receive the blessing by Pope Francis at the Angelus. The President General-elect, brother Juan Manuel Buergo Gómez, accompanied them at this historic moment.

In the second part of the meeting, in the afternoon, the country representatives exchanged experiences and best practices, and held an enriching debate that culminated in the “Charter of Rome”, a document signed by all those present, committing themselves to develop and improve collaboration channels among all Portuguese-speaking SSVP countries.

The 16th President General, brother Renato Lima de Oliveira, was present throughout the Lusophone summit, as he is well aware of the benefits of these meetings that bring together countries that share the same language and because he is a Brazilian member. The 1st Summit was held in 2013 (Lisbon) and the 2nd in Rio de Janeiro (2017).

During the event, the book “Circular Letters of the President General” (2017-2023) and the e-book “Holiness in the Vincentian Conferences” were launched, both in Portuguese.

Click here to read the Rome Charter of the 3rd Summit of Portuguese-speaking countries. The 4th Summit should take place in three years.