Católica celebrates ‘knowledge as hope’
‘At university, hope underpins an activist academic impulse based on the confidence that things really can change,’ said the UCP President. ‘In our classrooms, laboratories and libraries, we cultivate more than ideas: we cultivate hope. Hope for a fairer, more sustainable and inclusive future.’ This is how Isabel Capeloa Gil began her reflection on the ceremony's motto, inspired by the Jubilee of 2025.
For Mgr Rui Valério, Chancellor of the UCP, ‘marking the identity and mission of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa through the prism of this theme allows us to understand more deeply what it means to be a Catholic university’.
The Patriarch of Lisbon described the role of the university as ‘a fundamental maieutic for society’, through which shared knowledge ‘is the building block of a new civilisation’.
‘Knowledge is always open to hope, because knowledge opens doors to life, communion and fraternity,’ he said.
Honouring two key figures in Portuguese business life
In this solemn session, businessmen Ilídio Pinho and Vasco de Mello were awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa, the highest honour given by a university, for their contributions to society.
Ilídio Pinho, a prominent figure in the Portuguese business and philanthropic scene, ‘is a figure who transcends business success. He is an example of how leadership, when combined with humanist values, can transform lives and communities,’ said João Pinto, director of Católica Porto Business School, and sponsor of the honoree.
The businessman, who had already been awarded the university's Gold Medal in 2002, emphasised his lasting connection to Católica: ‘although I didn't study here, I feel that the Universidade Católica is part of my biography and my family’.
Regarding his professional career, he guaranteed: ‘I'm going to keep working, I've already said that I won't retire, not even after I die, because what I do has to last beyond myself, the companies, the foundation, the art collection, and everything else.’
Also honoured at this session, Vasco de Mello was described by his doctoral godfather, Vice-Rector Miguel Athayde Marques, as ‘larger than life’.
‘Our honoree carries within him the entire history of a distinguished family, which over the generations has given Portugal great entrepreneurs and remarkable citizens,’ he said.
The recipient accepted the award ‘with deep honour and a sense of responsibility’, highlighting several important aspects of his career and family life in his speech.
‘A taste for risk and the creation of purposeful businesses were two ideas that made a big impression on us and that I tried to pass on to my children,’ he said. ‘At the José De Mello group we constantly seek to cultivate a business vision that puts people at the centre, promoting sustainable development, the creation of value for society and respect for the highest ethical standards.’
Also present at the ceremony, the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, emphasised the importance of higher education institutions in transforming the country's future. He emphasised the history of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the ‘innovation it has brought to our higher education system’ through its unique project.
The ceremony also included the imposition of insignia and the awarding of doctoral licences to the new doctors at the Catholic University. On this occasion, Helena Carmo made history by becoming the first deaf person to obtain a doctorate from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
Silver and gold medals were also presented to Catholic employees who had completed 25 and 40 years of service.
Since he was unable to attend the session, Cardinal José Tolentino Mendonça gave a video message in which he reflected on hope.
‘The need and desire for hope is synonymous with life itself, it is like the air we breathe or the beating of our hearts. It is not a problem that a university can ignore or not put at the centre of its reflection, research and commitment. On the contrary, the vocation of a university is to become a laboratory of hope.’