Portuguese president takes part in country's oldest religious procession
Xinhua, May 9, 2016 Adjust font size:
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Sunday took part in national procession Nossa Senhora de Saude (Our Health Lady) in Lisbon.
He was accompanied by Mayor of Lisbon Fernando Medina and was applauded numerous times by citizens who were accompanying the procession.
The procession ended at Lisbon's Martim Moniz square, with a ceremony presided over by the bishop of the armed forces Manuel Rodrigues Linda.
The president took part in the national celebration a day after arriving from a 5-day official visit to Mozambique.
The procession of Nossa Senhora de Saude is the oldest in Lisbon, taking place since 1570.
In that year, Lisbon was hit by a plague, and desperate people asked for divine intervention to put an end to the illness.
The gunners of Sao Sebastian which occupied the small chapel of neighbourhood Mouraria made a vow to Nossa Senhora to ask for the plague to end.
The plague soon ended and to show their appreciation the gunners instituted the procession which took place for the first time on April 20 in 1570. Enditem