– Benedict Keith Ip
The President of Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received the President of Board of Trustees of the Santa Casa de Misericordia, António José de Freitas, as well as Bruno Miguel dos Santos Nunes and Gisela Nunes.
Santa Casa is celebrating its 450th anniversary celebration with its international network in May this year. Both parties spoke about Sino-Portuguese relations programs, as well as the history and development of the Santa Casa. “The founder of the Santa Casa, Bishop D. Belchior Carneiro, was a key figure in early history of Macau, being linked with the founding of the first local political institution, the Senate, in 1583. Moreover, the Holy House of Mercy was created before the organ of local government itself, clearly attesting to how closely it is bound up with the origins of Macau,” reads the historical description of the organization.
Presidential visit to Macau
In April this year, President De Souza will pay a visit to China in return to President Xi Jinping’s invitation. He is expecting to pass through Macau in early May. A return visit to Santa Casa will take place as a commemoration and encouragement to its 450th anniversary.
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