Catholics on holiday in the Algarve may have sins to confess. Help is at hand from the Church which, thoughtfully, is providing a multilingual confession service.
Sinners wishing to repent will have to travel to one of six Churches in the eastern Algarve where priests will be available to hear the faithful in a variety of languages.
'Enjoy the holidays and reconcile yourself with God' may not be the snappiest title for the new service but its aim is clear, from July 1 to August 31 multilingual priests will be on hand to relive Catholics of their mental burdens.
The initiative has been organised by the group of Tavira Churches, "The parish priests are prepared to listen and speak in several languages," explained Miguel Neto, a priest and spokesman for the diocese of the Algarve.
Neto said that holidays often are a time for reflection and that, “many people take the opportunity to balance and rethink life. The need to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation arises."
Those weighed down with sin can travel on Mondays to the church of Cabanas (Tavira), on Tuesdays to Altura (Castro Marim), on Wednesdays to Monte Gordo (Vila Real de Santo António), on Thursdays to Vila Real de Santo António, on Fridays to Tavira’s church of Santiago and on Saturdays to Cacela (Vila Real de Santo António). Confessions will be heard from 9.00 p.m.
"There are a lot of people who come on vacation and take the opportunity to get closer to God," concluded Neto, who points out that confessions can be made in Spanish, English or French.
