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Religious assistance in educational centers

In Portugal, until 2009, there was no real service of religious assistance in educational centers.

In fact, the Educational Tutelary Act of 1999 (law 166/99, amended by law 4/2015), regulating the tutelary proceedings on youngsters, under the ages of 12 and 16 and under tutelary educational processes for crimes committed, only guaranteed the respect to religious freedom and to the practice of acts of worships (articles 171 and 175).

The General and Disciplinary Rules of the Educational Centres, enacted through decree 323-D/2000, also provided those guarantees to youngsters. Article 75/1, on religious freedom, states that students can meet their religious and spiritual needs by attending religious services, contacting representatives of their denomination and having in their possession basic books for the observance and instruction of their religious creed. However, this decree did not offer any of the guarantees provided for in decree 79/83, on the regulation of religious assistance in prison facilities. In particular, the decree did not provide for an interview with a spiritual assistant, in order to confirm student’s interest and needs, nor did it provide for the parish priest’s free access to the educational facilities.

With the promulgation of decree 252/2009, on the rule of spiritual and religious assistance in prison facilities, a transitional provision on freedom of religion and worship was determined for educational centers (article 18), which provides, with adequate adaptations, for the application of the legal provisions of decree 252/2009 to educational centers, in accordance with the Educational Tutelary Act, and the General and Disciplinary Rules of the Educational Centres.

For further information:
 CORREIA, João P. M., “A assistência religiosa da Igreja católica nos estabelecimentos de saúde e reclusão em Portugal”. In: SATURNINO, Manuel C. G. (coord.), Estudos Sobre a Nova Concordata: Santa Sé – República Portuguesa, 18 de Maio de 2004. Col. Lusitania Canónica (11), Lisboa: Universidade Católica, 2006, pp. 151-173.
 LOURENÇO, Manuel Alves, “Modalidades de assistência religiosa às prisões e hospitais”. In: SATURNINO, Manuel C. G. (coord.), Relações Igreja- Estado em Portugal: Desde a vigência da Concordata de 1940, col. Lusitania Canonica (8), Lisboa: Universidade Católica, 2002, pp. 235-244.
 SEABRA, João, “Assistência religiosa nas prisões e hospitais”. In: SATURNINO, Manuel C. G. (coord.), Estudos Sobre a Nova Concordata: Santa Sé – República Portuguesa, 18 de Maio de 2004. Col. Lusitania Canónica (11), Lisboa: Universidade Católica, 2006, pp. 137-149.

D 22 December 2017    AHelena Vilaça AJorge Botelho Moniz

CNRS Unistra Dres Gsrl

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