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This 1842 administrative and ecclesiastical document, originating from the Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs on 24 December, records the provisional ecclesiastical governance of the island and region of Fontana following the opening of Ling-haomo to civil administration under imperial decree. The text, referencing deliberations held at Angoche, confirms that Pope Pius XVI, in his capacity as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, entrusted full spiritual care and pastoral administration of the area to the Fathers Provincial (P.P.), pending the establishment of a formal ecclesiastical See. The decision reflects the Catholic Church’s institutional response to the spiritual needs of missionaries and faithful in the region during a period of colonial administrative transition. Additionally, the document cites an earlier edict of 22 April 1841, which annulled all prior regulations currently in force in the locality, thereby establishing a new canonical framework. Endorsements are provided by Archbishop Idelfonso ai decr., António Pedro de Carvalho, and Ibi Maria de Arquica, indicating formal ecclesiastical and administrative ratification. The use of terms such as ‘canonical pounds’ points to the application of ecclesiastical law and financial provisions within this jurisdiction. This primary source offers critical insight into the intersection of colonial governance, religious administration, and papal authority in mid-19th century imperial and missionary contexts. It is a key document for researchers examining the role of the Catholic Church in colonial territories, the mechanics of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and the interplay between state and religious institutions during the period.
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This 1842 official correspondence, originating from Macao and addressed to Adrião e Accácio da Silveira Pinto, Governor and Captain-General of Macao, constitutes a formal ecclesiastical and administrative document concerning jurisdictional disputes within the Catholic Church in Portuguese colonial territories. The text, dated 18 February 1842 and verified by Cândido Gonçalves Franco with certification from the Office of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 24 December 1842, details concerns raised by the Bishop of Macao regarding the unilateral establishment of a Provisor’s office on the Island of São Tomé by ecclesiastical authorities under a decree of 22 April 1841. The author asserts that this action was carried out without prior notification and in disregard of the established territorial jurisdiction of the Macao Bishopric, which includes São Tomé. The document highlights the failure to inform the Holy See of these geographical ecclesiastical boundaries, resulting in a decree issued in error. It further records an encounter in which the Provisor acknowledged the Bishop’s ordinary authority pending further instructions from the Holy See and verbally agreed to submit written confirmation of obedience. The matter is presented as both a canonical and administrative issue, with implications for ecclesiastical order and state oversight. This primary source provides critical insight into 19th-century church-state relations, colonial ecclesiastical administration, and jurisdictional conflicts within the Portuguese Empire, particularly in the context of Macao’s religious and political authority over adjacent territories.
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Official correspondence from the Portuguese State Secretariat for Foreign Affairs, dated 24 December 1842, transmitting documentation regarding ecclesiastical jurisdictional disputes in Hong Kong following its cession to British control. The document comprises a formal report addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, António José Maria Campelo, by António Joaquim Gomes d’Oliveira, concerning the transfer of religious authority on the island of Hong Kong from the Diocese of Macau—under the Padroado Real privileges of the Portuguese Crown—to the Congregation for Propaganda Fide. It references a dispatch from the Governor, dated 22 April 1841, confirming Rome’s authorisation of this ecclesiastical shift, interpreted as an act of usurpation by Lisbon. A subsequent report from the Vicar Capitular of Macau, dated 9 March 1842, protests the establishment of a new mission under Propaganda Fide jurisdiction, asserting it violates longstanding royal patronage rights. The correspondence highlights diplomatic and canonical tensions between the Holy See, the Portuguese state, and colonial authorities in Macau and Hong Kong. Damaged sections obscure minor textual details, but the core argument centres on Portugal’s efforts to defend its traditional ecclesiastical prerogatives in the region through intervention at the Papal Court. This document is essential for researchers examining 19th-century colonial ecclesiastical politics, Sino-Portuguese relations, and the decline of the Padroado system in East Asia.
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This 1842 official correspondence, originating from Macau and addressed to the Portuguese Minister and Secretary of State for Naval and Overseas Affairs, documents a dispute concerning ecclesiastical jurisdiction and colonial authority in the context of Portuguese Catholic administration in East Asia. The letter, signed by Father Conceição Franco and countersigned by Pedro de Carvalho, references the presence of Rigua, a Procurator of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide, who resided in Macau under orders from the Apostolic Prefecture of Hong Kong—dependent on the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith—and allegedly operated beyond his authorised mandate. The text asserts that Rigua’s activities contravened prior reports submitted to the Holy See and conflicted with the papal Bull *Sub Romana Militantis Ecclesia* (interpreted as issued by Pope Gregory XIII in 1586), which defined ecclesiastical boundaries and jurisdictions. In response, the author claims to have expelled the Procurator and his associates from the establishment within three days to protect the rights of the Vice-Prefecture. The document further expresses reluctance to engage the British Governor of Hong Kong, then serving as Plenipotentiary, due to lack of governmental authorisation. It also alludes to an unauthorised decree of 22 April 1851 (anachronistic within the 1842 dating) obtained under false pretences, suggesting later interpolation or transcription error. The communication underscores tensions between local ecclesiastical powers, colonial governance, and Roman centralisation efforts in mid-19th century Portuguese Asia.
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