Madeiran Cardinal D. José Tolentino Mendonça received the Medal of Honor of the City of Lisbon in a ceremony held at the City Hall. On the occasion, he argued that the Portuguese capital should assert itself as a space for interculturality, welcome, and dialogue.
Recalling his arrival in Lisbon in 1975, the prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See emphasized the importance of integration and recognition policies in a city marked by diversity. "A city is not measured by the number of people it receives, but by the quality of recognition it generates and the fraternity it achieves," he stated.
The cardinal also highlighted education as an essential tool for the future of societies, considering investment in this area as the "great lever of humanization and just direction." The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, praised Tolentino Mendonça's career, describing him as "a man of dialogue" with the ability to "build consensus."
