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This 1902 diplomatic correspondence, originating from the Portuguese Government of Macau and transmitted through the Embassy of Portugal to the Holy See, documents a sensitive territorial and political dispute involving French missionary land acquisitions near Macau. The primary subject is a series of purchases by the French Catholic mission of three parcels of land—Sai-kua-pu, Sai-mai-kong, and Bac-mai-Kong—at the foot of Mount Catae, approximately five kilometres from Macau, officially registered under the authority of the Xiangshan mandarin. The reports, authored by Acting Governor Alfredo Lello and addressed to the Secretary of State for Naval and Overseas Affairs in Lisbon, argue that these acquisitions, conducted under the provisions of the 1860 Franco-Chinese Treaty, served strategic political rather than religious or medical purposes, despite the stated pretext of establishing a sanatorium. The documents detail an incident in which Chinese agents attempted to serve a summons on Ip-lin-san, a naturalised Portuguese subject and Macau resident, over allegations of unlawful burial on contested land, prompting protests regarding violations of Portuguese territorial jurisdiction. Internal investigations concluded that the burial claims were unfounded and likely a pretext to clear access to French-held plots. The correspondence further highlights British concern in Hong Kong over perceived French expansionist ambitions in southern China, particularly given the strategic vantage of the acquired lands overlooking key maritime routes. The material provides critical insight into colonial rivalries, ecclesiastical politics under the Padroado system, and the use of missionary activity as an instrument of imperial influence in late Qing China.

This is a confidential diplomatic despatch dated 17 June 1920, sent from Rome by J. P. Martins to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, concerning ecclesiastical affairs in Macau. The document, classified as No. 26 and marked “Confidential”, serves as a supplementary communication to earlier correspondence (Despatch No. 42 of 10 June 1920) regarding the appointment of the Bishop of Macau. It reports allegations about Father Gomes, a figure involved in ecclesiastical activities in Macau, asserting that he lacks extensive literary knowledge and that questions have been raised about the financial management of a subscription he organised several years prior for the benefit of the local seminary. Despite reported construction works at the institution, doubts persist among certain individuals regarding the proper allocation of the collected funds, though the author neither verifies nor endorses these claims. J. P. Martins explicitly states his inability to assess the validity of the information and transmits it solely for official consideration and potential investigation. The despatch reflects concerns over clerical competence and financial accountability within a colonial ecclesiastical context during the early 20th century. As an official record from the Portuguese diplomatic corps, this document offers valuable insight into church-state relations, administrative oversight, and the governance of religious institutions under Portuguese influence in Macau.

This 1902 diplomatic correspondence, originating from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and addressed to an ecclesiastical authority, documents the formal transmission of a Royal Charter appointing Reverend João Paulino de Azevedo e Castro as Bishop of Macau. The document, dated 10 June 1902 and issued by Counsellor Miguel Martins d’Antas in Lisbon, includes a copy of the canonical process (*processus inaugurationis*) compiled at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lisbon, which accompanied the nomination to the Holy See. A parallel communication from the Vatican Secretariat, dated 21 June 1902 and referencing an earlier note from January of that year, confirms receipt of the nomination materials sent by His Excellency, including a letter from Pedelizzi sirna concerning Monsignor Giovanni Paolino de Sjavedo’s appointment to the Petrine See of Macao. The Vatican response, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, acknowledges the delivery of the pontifical autograph to the Pope and the forwarding of documents to Miguel Martins d’Artes, expressing formal gratitude and reaffirming esteem for the recipient. The file, registered on 6 February 1902 after arrival in Caracas on 19 February, forms part of administrative records held in Lisbon under Division R.7, File 35 3/. This dual bureaucratic and ecclesiastical documentation reflects the procedural interplay between state and Church in Portuguese colonial ecclesiastical appointments during the early 20th century, offering insight into diplomatic protocols and the governance of Catholic sees in overseas territories.

This 1902 diplomatic correspondence, originating from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and addressed to an ecclesiastical authority, documents the formal transmission of a Royal Charter appointing Reverend João Paulino de Azevedo e Castro as Bishop of Macau. The document, dated 10 June 1902 and issued by Counsellor Miguel Martins d’Antas in Lisbon, includes a copy of the canonical process (*processus inaugurationis*) compiled at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lisbon, which accompanied the nomination to the Holy See. A parallel communication from the Vatican Secretariat, dated 21 June 1902 and referencing an earlier note from January of that year, confirms receipt of the nomination materials sent by His Excellency, including a letter from Pedelizzi sirna concerning Monsignor Giovanni Paolino de Sjavedo’s appointment to the Petrine See of Macao. The Vatican response, signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, acknowledges the delivery of the pontifical autograph to the Pope and the forwarding of documents to Miguel Martins d’Artes, expressing formal gratitude and reaffirming esteem for the recipient. The file, registered on 6 February 1902 after arrival in Caracas on 19 February, forms part of administrative records held in Lisbon under Division R.7, File 35 3/. This dual bureaucratic and ecclesiastical documentation reflects the procedural interplay between state and Church in Portuguese colonial ecclesiastical appointments during the early 20th century, offering insight into diplomatic protocols and the governance of Catholic sees in overseas territories.

This is a confidential diplomatic despatch dated 17 June 1920, sent from Rome by J. P. Martins to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, concerning ecclesiastical affairs in Macau. The document, classified as No. 26 and marked “Confidential”, serves as a supplementary communication to earlier correspondence (Despatch No. 42 of 10 June 1920) regarding the appointment of the Bishop of Macau. It reports allegations about Father Gomes, a figure involved in ecclesiastical activities in Macau, asserting that he lacks extensive literary knowledge and that questions have been raised about the financial management of a subscription he organised several years prior for the benefit of the local seminary. Despite reported construction works at the institution, doubts persist among certain individuals regarding the proper allocation of the collected funds, though the author neither verifies nor endorses these claims. J. P. Martins explicitly states his inability to assess the validity of the information and transmits it solely for official consideration and potential investigation. The despatch reflects concerns over clerical competence and financial accountability within a colonial ecclesiastical context during the early 20th century. As an official record from the Portuguese diplomatic corps, this document offers valuable insight into church-state relations, administrative oversight, and the governance of religious institutions under Portuguese influence in Macau.

This 1901 diplomatic correspondence, originating from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ General Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs, concerns ecclesiastical jurisdictional negotiations between Portugal and France regarding territories in China. Dated 16 February 1901 and addressed to a high-ranking official, the document records an agreement reached between the Portuguese and French governments on the reassignment of ecclesiastical authority over Hainan Island, previously under the Diocese of Canton prior to the 1876 arrangement between the Vicar General of Macau and the Apostolic Prefect. The agreement stipulates that, in exchange for returning Hainan to the Diocese of Canton, the Bishop of Macau would gain jurisdiction over the Chao-Shing district adjacent to Shean-Chau, where he already exercised ecclesiastical authority. Two key conditions are noted: the necessity of initiating territorial demarcation procedures pending formal approval by the Holy See, and the provisional nature (provisoria tantum ratione) of the jurisdictional transfer. The French Legation in Lisbon communicated its government’s assent to these terms on 20 December 1900 and again on 13 February 1901. The document further references a communication from the Apostolic Nuncio dated 6 October 1900, conveying the Holy See’s requirement for formal ratification and canonical title before final confirmation. This file, part of Section No. 2, File 51, reflects the intersection of colonial diplomacy, Catholic ecclesiastical administration, and international agreements at the turn of the twentieth century.

This 1900 diplomatic memorandum, originating from the Portuguese Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, documents negotiations between the governments of Portugal and France concerning the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Hainan Island in southern China. The text records that Hainan had been provisionally placed under the Diocese of Macau by the Holy See in 1875–76, but due to limited clergy and logistical challenges, the Bishop of Macau had not effectively evangelised the island. In light of the Paris Foreign Missions Society’s growing capacity within the Apostolic Prefecture of Guangdong, the French government proposed transferring Hainan back to Cantonese ecclesiastical authority. Portugal conditionally assented, requiring in exchange the extension of the Bishop of Macau’s jurisdiction over the district of Chao Hing (Gao Hing), adjacent to existing territories under his spiritual control. The agreement was to be implemented *provisoria tantum ratione*—on a provisional basis only—with territorial delimitations subject to prior approval by the Holy See. The document includes multiple memoranda from 1898–1900 exchanged between diplomatic representatives in Lisbon, Paris, and Rome, including communications involving Mr Avoye, Mr Delcassé, and the Apostolic Nuncio. It reflects the intersection of colonial diplomacy, ecclesiastical administration, and imperial interests in late 19th-century China, illustrating how religious jurisdiction served as both a spiritual and political instrument in Sino-European relations.

This 1897 Vatican archival document comprises a series of formal ecclesiastical letters, financial records, and administrative transcripts concerning the episcopal appointment of José Emmanuel de Carvalho to the See of Macau, a Portuguese colonial diocese within the Chinese Empire. The material includes papal bulls issued by Pope Leo XIII, financial accounts from 1899 detailing expenditures related to the apostolic provision, and sworn oaths of fidelity, alongside descriptive reports on the ecclesiastical and territorial status of Macau. The Cathedral Church of Macau, dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is recorded as suffragan to the Archdiocese of Goa, with a structured chapter, active parishes, a seminary, and defined revenues. The appointment process reflects the patronage rights of Charles I, King of Portugal and the Algarves, under the Luso-Vatican agreement of 1886. Despite Carvalho’s lack of a doctoral degree, a papal dispensation is granted based on his demonstrated learning, moral integrity, and prior service as Professor of Ecclesiastical Sciences and Promoter in the Episcopal Curia of Viseu. The documentation further outlines canonical requirements, including the oath *ad limina*, provisions for consecration, and faculties conferred upon the new bishop. Financial records itemize costs totalling over 4,300 florins associated with processing the apostolic letters through diplomatic channels. This collection constitutes a critical primary source for the study of late 19th-century colonial ecclesiastical administration, church-state relations in the Portuguese Empire, and the Roman Curia’s role in transnational episcopal appointments.