The Catholic Church and the politics of morality issues: a comparative analysis of the debates on euthanasia and gender identity in Portugal

Puzzling many, Portugal has experienced a “permissiveness wave” on morality issues, despite its population’s high religiosity and the Portuguese Catholic Church’s (PCC) strength. The involvement of this institution in those debates is therefore crucial for understanding this puzzle. This study thus examines the intervention strategies (direct or indirect) and arguments (predominantly moral or rational) the PCC employed during the recent debates on euthanasia and gender identity by analyzing its publications on two institutional websites. Findings indicate that the PCC was active in both debates—particularly in critical political moments during the euthanasia debate—primarily deploying moral arguments and indirect strategies, but occasionally using rational claims and direct actions, like appeals to veto players. This substantial involvement—comparatively higher than in previous debates, given a more interventionist/conservative Patriarch—was nevertheless unable to halt permissive policy changes, mainly due to a secular parliamentary majority and lack of strong ties with political parties.