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Telegram from Franco Nogueira, Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Portuguese Ambassador to the Holy See informing him that the Archive of the Diocese of Macau is located in the Oficinas de São José in Lisbon (Salesian School) and that the Bishop of Macau only retains in Macau the documentation necessary for regular business.

This 1968 report, compiled by the Council of Catholic Schools of Macao, documents a period of intense political and religious conflict in Macau between 1966 and 1968, triggered by the spillover of China’s Cultural Revolution. The document details how local communist organisations, inspired by Red Guard activities on the mainland, launched a campaign against the Catholic Church, beginning with political disturbances in late 1966 and escalating into direct attacks on religious institutions. Central to the conflict was St Joseph’s College, which became a focal point following fabricated allegations and student-led demonstrations demanding the punishment of teacher Lam Sai-chong and broader concessions from Catholic authorities. The Portuguese colonial government, under Governor Nobre de Carvalho, faced pressure to appease communist demands, culminating in the January 1967 agreement that effectively ceded political influence to pro-communist groups. The Bishop of Macau, Dom Paulo José Tavares, resisted these pressures, issuing a public ‘Clarification’ in September 1967 defending the Church’s rights, which led to the suspension of the Catholic newspaper O Clarim. The report outlines systematic harassment of the Church, including propaganda campaigns, physical assaults, vandalism of religious properties, and intimidation of clergy. It also records the Church’s efforts to negotiate while upholding its principles, the complicity or inaction of civil authorities, and the resilience of Catholic institutions amid widespread anti-religious agitation. The text serves as a primary account of ideological confrontation, ecclesiastical resistance, and colonial vulnerability in late 1960s Macau.

This archival document comprises a 1967 Portuguese colonial administrative file (Process No. 1–7–1, File D-7-1) originating from the Ministry of the Overseas Territories and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concerning ecclesiastical governance in the Province of Macau under Portuguese administration. It includes a confidential memorandum dated 3 June 1967 from the Governor of Macau to the Ministry, reporting internal divisions among the diocesan clergy, criticism of Bishop Paulo Tavares’s authoritarian pastoral administration, and concerns regarding the influence of his brother, who served as his Secretary. The file documents diplomatic exchanges between Lisbon and the Holy See—particularly with Archbishop Agostino Casaroli (erroneously referred to in the original as ‘Monsignor Samoré’)—regarding the Holy See’s preliminary consideration of appointing a Chinese-origin Auxiliary Bishop for Macau as a contingency measure in anticipation of potential sovereignty changes. It records the appointment of Chinese and Eurasian clergy to key posts—including Canon António André Ngan (Vicar General and Chantre), Reverend João Paulo de Sousa (Rector), and Reverend Cláudio Maria Leão Ló (Vice-Rector)—and notes the candidacy of Reverend Dr. Massa. The document further details Vatican assessments of Bishop Tavares’s suitability for reassignment to Rome or a Central American nunciature, and reflects sustained Portuguese diplomatic efforts to forestall the appointment of a Chinese auxiliary bishop. Dated between March and June 1967, the file is held in the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (AHU), Conselho Ultramarino—Índia, Caixa 14.

Papeis de José Maria de Sequeira.

Secção Estado - Filipinas

This is a collection of official dispatches, petitions, and correspondence from the Portuguese colonial administration in Macau, dating between 1822 and 1827, primarily addressed to high-ranking officials in Lisbon, including the Secretary of State for Overseas Affairs and the Royal Presence. The documents centre on the political, economic, and administrative crisis in Macau following the establishment of a new Municipal Council (Senado da Câmara) in August 1822 after the swearing-in of the Constitutional Basis, which led to factionalism, governance disputes, and a breakdown in public order. A key figure is Fr. Francisco, Bishop of Macau, who acts as both spiritual leader and Governor, reporting on the deteriorating trade conditions, particularly the shift of opium commerce from Macau to Lintin Island due to failed agreements with Chinese Mandarins after 1820. He attributes economic decline to internal rivalries and illegitimate governance, warning of foreign ambitions and strategic vulnerability. Multiple memorials from Macau residents, dated 1825, urge mediation by the Bishop and Governor to restore trade through renegotiation with Chinese authorities, proposing coordinated action among merchants and customs officials to revive revenues. The texts include requests for intervention in commercial affairs, appeals for royal approval, and administrative instructions, reflecting the entangled ecclesiastical and civil authority in the colony. Endorsed by the Secretariat of State in Lisbon in April 1827, the papers were submitted to the Overseas Council for deliberation on reviving regulated opium trade under Portuguese oversight. The documents are part of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Lisbon), bearing archival stamps and marginalia indicative of their bureaucratic trajectory within the Portuguese imperial administration.

This is a collection of official dispatches, petitions, and correspondence from the Portuguese colonial administration in Macau, dating between 1822 and 1827, primarily addressed to high-ranking officials in Lisbon, including the Secretary of State for Overseas Affairs and the Royal Presence. The documents centre on the political, economic, and administrative crisis in Macau following the establishment of a new Municipal Council (Senado da Câmara) in August 1822 after the swearing-in of the Constitutional Basis, which led to factionalism, governance disputes, and a breakdown in public order. A key figure is Fr. Francisco, Bishop of Macau, who acts as both spiritual leader and Governor, reporting on the deteriorating trade conditions, particularly the shift of opium commerce from Macau to Lintin Island due to failed agreements with Chinese Mandarins after 1820. He attributes economic decline to internal rivalries and illegitimate governance, warning of foreign ambitions and strategic vulnerability. Multiple memorials from Macau residents, dated 1825, urge mediation by the Bishop and Governor to restore trade through renegotiation with Chinese authorities, proposing coordinated action among merchants and customs officials to revive revenues. The texts include requests for intervention in commercial affairs, appeals for royal approval, and administrative instructions, reflecting the entangled ecclesiastical and civil authority in the colony. Endorsed by the Secretariat of State in Lisbon in April 1827, the papers were submitted to the Overseas Council for deliberation on reviving regulated opium trade under Portuguese oversight. The documents are part of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Lisbon), bearing archival stamps and marginalia indicative of their bureaucratic trajectory within the Portuguese imperial administration.

Obs.: Ofício nº 1. Há 2ª via. Em anexo, documento comprovativo e uma informação sobre o ofício.

Obs.: Tem anexo um impresso dos padres do Colégio de São José e uma carta do Bispo de Nanquim.