Professor Tânia dos Santos Afonso, Ph.D., a faculty member at the School of Health Sciences and Nursing at the Portuguese Catholic University, was interviewed for an article in the newspaper PÚBLICO, published on November 1, 2026, about planning one’s own funeral in advance and how some people view death and saying goodbye.
Titled “Now and at the Time of Our Funeral: They Are Alive, but Have Already Made Arrangements for Their Farewell,” the article addresses the reality of so-called “living funerals,” sharing stories of people who have decided to plan and organize their own funeral services in advance, including financial matters and choices related to the ceremony.
The contribution of Prof. Tânia dos Santos Afonso adds to the discussion on our relationship with death, mortality, and the importance of addressing these issues in society. An Assistant Professor at FCSE-UCP, Tânia Afonso works in the fields of Nursing and Palliative Care and also serves as Executive Director of the Portuguese Observatory on Palliative Care.
The article, written by Inês Duarte de Freitas, with photography by Nuno Ferreira Santos and Rui Gaudêncio, was published in the print edition of PÚBLICO on November 1, 2026, in section P2, and is also available in the digital edition, exclusively for subscribers.
Read the article: Agora e na hora do nosso funeral: estão vivos, mas já trataram da despedida – PÚBLICO
