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Jehovah’s Witnesses Gain Freedom of Worship in Portugal

DECEMBER 18, 1974, proved to be a milestone in the history of Jehovah’s witnesses in Portugal. On that day the Witnesses there gained legal recognition by registration of the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This ended a struggle for freedom of worship that had gone on for nearly fifty years.

Interestingly, the recognition was granted during the very week that N. H. Knorr and F. W. Franz, the president and vice president of the Watch Tower Society, were to visit Portugal. Special meetings were, therefore, arranged for Saturday and Sunday, December 21 and 22.

CAPACITY CROWDS TURN OUT

The Saturday meeting was held in Pôrto, where a crowd of 7,586 packed out the Sports Pavilion. The site of Sunday’s meeting was the Estadio da Tapadinha, a football stadium in Lisbon with seating capacity for 22,000. The directors in charge of the stadium showed outstanding cooperation. They even rescheduled an afternoon football game to the morning so that Witnesses from distant congregations could make the trip and enjoy the program on Sunday afternoon.

When Brothers Knorr and Franz arrived, the stadium was already filled to capacity, with additional thousands still outside waiting to get in. Would insufficient seating capacity prevent them from getting in? Apparently stadium officials sensed the significance of the occasion. During Brother Franz’ discourse in Portuguese on Psalm 91, they gave an unprecedented order that allowed overflow crowds to enter the playing field. It was truly a moving sight!

When the attendance was finally tallied, 39,284 had come to the Lisbon gathering, making a total of 46,870 for these two special meetings. That is three times the number of Jehovah’s witnesses in Portugal. A sustained burst of applause followed the announcement that they would shortly be able to open up Kingdom Halls for congregation meetings.

But why did it take so long to gain legal recognition? A review of some history will prove interesting.

A CONSPIRACY TO SUPPRESS FREEDOM OF WORSHIP

Jehovah’s witnesses have been preaching the “good news” of God’s kingdom in Portugal since May of 1925. (Matt. 24:14) Their first public meeting was held that year in Lisbon’s Luís Camões High School gymnasium with 2,000 present to hear J. F. Rutherford speak on the subject “How to Live on the Earth Forever.”

Following this lecture, the Watch Tower Society opened an office on Rua Santa Justa, 95, in Lisbon. During the same year (1925) the Watch Tower magazine began to be published in that city. Other meetings were organized and conducted by George Young, a Canadian who had been sent to Portugal to organize the work. But things can change quickly; and they did so the following year.

In 1926 the Republican government was overthrown and “O Novo Estado” (The New State) began its rule. This was a strict conservative government backed by the Roman Catholic Church. The dominant figure in this regime was Dr. Oliveira Salazar.

Immediately pressure was brought to bear upon Jehovah’s witnesses. The Watch Tower came under government censorship and, just one year later, it was necessary to transfer its printing to Bern, Switzerland. In 1933 a new Constitution was adopted in Portugal and a strong dictatorial state emerged with absolute power over the people. In this same year all publication of literature by Jehovah’s witnesses in Portugal was suspended and the Society’s office was closed.

Thereafter repeated efforts were made to gain legal recognition. For example, on May 5, 1947, F. W. Franz visited Portugal along with the Watch Tower Society’s attorney. Besides delivering a talk on organizational matters to a group of about twenty persons, the visiting brothers consulted a Lisbon lawyer about the possibility of obtaining legal recognition for the work of Jehovah’s witnesses. But they were told flatly that the request would be denied, for the P.I.D.E. (secret police) worked arm in arm with the Catholic Church.

In spite of the governmental ban, Jehovah’s witnesses in Portugal continued to speak to their neighbors about the incoming of a new order of peace and righteousness under God’s Kingdom rule. (2 Pet. 3:13) By 1952 a peak of 53 Witnesses were active in Portugal. Once again lawyers were consulted about legal registration of a branch of the Watch Tower Society in Portugal. But after repeated interviews with government officials, the request was officially denied without any reason being given.

TERRORISM BREAKS OUT

Jehovah’s witnesses continued to meet in private homes for Bible discussion. By January 1961 there were more than 1,000 Witnesses in Portugal. In that year another effort was made legally to register the organization, this time using a local association. But the Catholic hierarchy had become furious at the rapid growth of Jehovah’s witnesses.

A wave of terrorism began in March 1961. Hundreds of Witnesses had their homes searched without warrant by P.I.D.E. agents. Their Bibles and Bible literature were confiscated; they were physically injured and thrown into prison. Many court cases resulted, one being appealed to the highest court of the land. The result? Witnesses of Jehovah, both men and women, were sentenced to prison for merely attending a Bible study in a private home. This terrorism kept up throughout the 1960’s. Then a ray of hope flickered. How so?

Dictator Salazar suffered a stroke and a new prime minister was nominated. When the new government proclaimed religious liberty on August 21, 1971, it appeared that some changes were in the offing. Jehovah’s witnesses gladly obtained the names of 500 brothers, which the law requires for classification as a “recognized religion” or “confession.” Additionally, they submitted extensive documentation regarding their beliefs and organization to the Justice Ministry on November 14, 1972. But, as the weeks and months slipped by, it became apparent that once again the request had been “shelved.”

A CHANGE AT LAST

When Salazar died back in 1970 many people expressed hope that Portugal would end its tyranny and oppressive rule. Some members of Parliament openly pleaded for freedom of expression for the country’s citizens. The younger generation, too, had become dissatisfied with the old regime. Then it happened: A military revolution, swiftly executed, took place on April 25, 1974. The 48-year-old dictatorship was overthrown in one day.

This brought with it welcome changes. For example, the military provisional government immediately announced the restoration of basic civil liberties in Portugal for the first time since 1926. On August 29, 1974, a law was passed granting the right for people to assemble freely without special permission.

How Jehovah’s witnesses rejoiced at this news! They held an assembly of several congregations in Lisbon’s University City Sports Pavilion with 1,211 attending. Seventeen similar conventions followed in quick succession, all in fine public places, with a grand total of 29,664 attending the public talk. And, as noted above, in December Portuguese Witnesses along with tens of thousands of interested persons turned out en masse for the two special meetings with traveling officials of the Watch Tower Society.

What a welcome change for Jehovah’s witnesses now to receive protection, instead of opposition from the police! When a rowdy man tried to disrupt a meeting recently, complaint was made to the police. How interesting to hear the chief of police respond: “Imagine! We received orders to persecute you people under the previous regime. Now we are going to protect you. I’m going to dispatch two policemen to be on guard at the Kingdom Hall for your next meeting.”

“YOUR GOD MUST REALLY BE DIFFERENT”

The Bible admonishes Christians: “Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, that . . . they may as a result of your fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God.” (1 Pet. 2:12) Is the conduct of Jehovah’s witnesses of that “fine” type?

A football fan who had been at the Lisbon stadium all day on Sunday, December 22, commented: “It’s amazing! During the morning football game, a crowd of only 5,000 people required a security force of 30 policemen to keep order. The police had to arrest one excited spectator who tried to attack the referee. But in the afternoon, with nearly 40,000 people, you don’t even see a policeman in the stadium! And there wasn’t a single disturbance!”

The wife of one of the caretakers who lives on the grounds remarked: “Why, just imagine, when they were cleaning up the stadium, they even took away the garbage I put here this morning in front of my door. Never have I seen people work together like this, without any problems or fuss.”

When a representative of Jehovah’s witnesses met with the board of directors to express appreciation for the use of the stadium, the president of the Club said: “Yesterday, this Club was dignified by the presence of your people. You have nothing to thank us for. You gave us a splendid lesson in civic conduct, cooperation and love.” Another director exclaimed: “All I can say is that for you people to act as you do, your God must really be different.”

Jehovah’s witnesses are bursting with enthusiasm over recent developments in Portugal. In November they had a peak of 14,220 active in sharing Bible truth with others. And they conduct more than 14,160 free Bible studies with people in their homes. The people of Portugal are obviously thirsting for knowledge of the Word of God. Jehovah’s witnesses are ready, anxious, and now legally able, to help them.