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This official correspondence, dated 21 October 1926, originates from the Secretariat of State of His Holiness at the Vatican and is addressed to His Excellency Augusto de Castro, Minister of Portugal to the Holy See. The document, classified under reference number 57145 and marked for citation in reply, serves as a formal invitation to a significant ecclesiastical event. It announces that on Thursday, 28 October 1926, at 8 a.m., Pope Pius XI will confer episcopal consecration upon six Chinese bishops in the Vatican Basilica. The undersigned, Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Cardinal Secretary of State, extends the invitation to the Portuguese Minister and the entire staff of his Legation, noting that members of the Most Eminent Diplomatic Corps will be granted access through the Porta di Santa Marta. This primary source reflects the diplomatic protocols of the Holy See during the early 20th century and highlights the internationalisation of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy, particularly in relation to China. As a formal state communication within Vatican diplomatic channels, the document provides evidence of Sino-Vatican ecclesiastical relations and the integration of non-European clergy into the episcopate during the interwar period. It is a valuable resource for researchers examining religious diplomacy, colonial-era ecclesiastical policy, and the globalisation of Catholicism in the 1920s.

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Resposta do Governo a pró memória da Santa Sé (Arquivo da Embaixada de Portugal Junto da Santa Sé até 1930 - Cx. 36, mc.02, doc. 37). (1926). Portugal. Arquivo Diplomático e Biblioteca do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros. http://43.156.68.124/docs/8M4SN9MN/viewer_8M4SN9MN.html

This 1926 diplomatic memorandum, issued by the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ General Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs, addresses ecclesiastical jurisdictional disputes between the Portuguese Crown and the Holy See concerning dioceses under the Padroado system in British India and Asia. Dated 5 May 1926 and addressed to the Portuguese Minister Plenipotentiary to the Holy See, the document analyses a proposed agreement on the reorganisation of Portuguese ecclesiastical jurisdictions, specifically Goa, Daman, Cochin, Mylapore, and potentially Macau. It outlines Portugal’s position on four key issues: approval of boundary modifications only with governmental consent; extension of the state’s response period to three months in episcopal appointments; clarification that the semi-Padroado arrangements over Indian dioceses such as Bombay, Trichinopoly, Quilon, and Mangalore should remain subject to Portuguese input; and strong objections to the proposed transfer of spiritual jurisdiction over enclaved Padroado Christian communities to local bishops under Propaganda Fide. The author, Vasco Inge (or Vase Boye), argues that such transfers—particularly affecting Daman and Mylapore, which would lose up to half or one-third of their Christian populations—would cause severe institutional harm. Instead, he proposes a system of territorial compensation based on reciprocal exchanges of equivalent Christian populations, citing precedent from the 1923 establishment of Tuticorin. The document underscores Portugal’s determination to preserve its historic patronage rights while advocating for negotiated, equitable solutions to complex transcolonial ecclesiastical governance challenges.

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Um número do “Missionário” em que fala do Padroado (Arquivo da Embaixada de Portugal Junto da Santa Sé até 1930). (1926). Portugal. Arquivo Diplomático e Biblioteca do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros. https://bdm-files.usj.edu.mo/s/fLzSwBzNBSw2GRp

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Castro. (1926). Bispos indígenas chineses (Arquivo da Embaixada de Portugal Junto da Santa Sé até 1930 - cx.35, mc.02, doc.94) [Letter to Ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros]. Portugal. Arquivo Diplomático e Biblioteca do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros. http://43.156.68.124/docs/2Z7ENNXQ/viewer_2Z7ENNXQ.html

This 1926 diplomatic correspondence, consisting of two nearly identical dispatches dated 4 and 6 September and originating in Rome, reports on the impending consecration of two indigenous Chinese bishops by the Pope. Classified under Series A, No. 71, and addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the documents highlight the significance of the papal decision to personally conduct the consecration, underscoring its alignment with the Pope’s established policy of promoting and strengthening indigenous ecclesiastical leadership in Eastern territories. The repeated emphasis on the indigenous status of the bishops reflects a strategic shift within the Catholic Church towards localising clerical authority in mission regions during the early 20th century. Sent by an official identified only as J., the communications serve as formal notifications of a notable development in Sino-Vatican ecclesiastical relations and illustrate the intersection of religious authority and diplomatic protocol within the context of colonial-era missionary expansion. These documents provide primary evidence of institutional efforts to indigenise Christian leadership in China and offer insight into the Vatican’s engagement with non-European clergy during the interwar period. They are valuable for researchers examining religious diplomacy, colonialism, and the globalisation of Catholicism in the modern era.

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