OBITUARY – Lady Maria Teresa Costa Macedo, Dame Grand Cross, Minister for Family Affairs, passed away
IN MEMORIAM LADY MARIA TERESA PAULO SAMPAIO DA COSTA MACEDO
(1943 - 2025)
Dear Dames and Knights,
it is with deep sorrow that the Magisterial House of our Sovereign Order and of the State of Knights (KMFAP) informs all about the decease of our dear Dame, Lady Dra. Maria Teresa Paulo Sampaio da Costa Macedo, who passed away on the 15th May 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal, at the age of 82.
- Hospitalized due to a lung infection at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, Lady Dra. Maria Teresa Paulo Sampaio da Costa Macedo – Dame Grand Cross, Minister for Family Affairs of KMFAP– passed away at the age of 82, on the 15th May 2025, a day of deep symbolic meaning – the International Family Day.
Lady Maria Teresa was a Portuguese university professor and politician. Daughter of the painter Fausto Sampaio, one of the great Portuguese naturalist painters, married to Carlos da Costa Macedo, she was the mother of four children and grandmother of five grandchildren.
As a tireless advocate for the family as the foundation of society, Lady Maria Teresa played a leading role in shaping global family policy.
She was a former member of the Portuguese government for family affairs; a Pontifical Consultant for Family Affairs since His Holiness John Paul II; a former President for 12 years and then Honorary President of the World Family Organisation (formerly UIOF - International Union of Family Organizations); affiliated in the EU and the UN; and a member of the Economic and Social Council of the European Union.
Under her stewardship, WFO strengthened its global footprint, representing over 150 countries and bringing together governments and civil society to champion the rights and well-being of families. She ensured WFO's strong presence across the international system, with active representation in the United Nations ECOSOC, FAO, UNESCO, and regional platforms such as the Council of Europe, the Arab League, the African Union, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the Organization of American States (OAS).
At 82 years old, she was President of the National Confederation of Family Associations (CNAF) of Portugal.
Her death is a profound loss for the global family movement and for our Order. The Magisterial House and the Office of the Prime Minister pay tribute to her enduring legacy and present their most sincere and heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones, as well as to all who were touched by her leadership and commitment.
