The patriarch of Lisbon, D. Rui Valério, participated in the inauguration ceremony of the new memorial to the victims of the Elevador da Glória accident, at Largo da Oliveirinha, next to Calçada da Glória. During the ceremony, which took place one year after the derailment of the century-old carriage, the Catholic leader prayed and blessed a centuries-old olive tree, asking that the memory of the tragedy transforms into a commitment to responsibility and attention to others.
The accident resulted in 16 dead and 24 injured, from 15 different nationalities. D. Rui Valério highlighted that each victim had a name, a face, and a story, and that the longing felt by families is the ultimate mark left by love. The patriarch asked that no one forget that the human person must remain at the center of everything that is built.
The memorial work consists of 16 limestone blocks, positioned radially around the centuries-old olive tree, with the names of each fatal victim engraved. The ceremony was promoted by the Lisbon City Council, which built the memorial at that location.
After the inauguration of the memorial, D. Rui Valério will preside over a Mass in Memory and suffrage for the victims, at the Church of S. Roque, at 12:30 PM.
