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This is a classified Portuguese colonial administrative document dated 14 July 1967, originating from the Directorate-General of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon, transmitted to the Ministry of Overseas Affairs and subsequently forwarded to the Governor of Macau. The document contains a verbatim transcription of notes from a conversation held in Rome on 27 July 1967 between the Ecclesiastical Consultant of the Portuguese Embassy to the Holy See, Monsenhor P.J. Carreira, and Dom Paulo Tavares, Bishop of Macau, shortly before his departure for Macau. The discussion centred on the current challenges facing the Diocese of Macau, particularly the future of the local seminary amid plans to transfer approximately twenty students from Timor to mainland Portugal for training. The Bishop expressed concerns over institutional stability and past difficulties attributed to individuals deemed psychologically and diplomatically unprepared for the region’s complex environment. The Portuguese government reaffirmed its commitment to financially support the seminary and broader ecclesiastical social, cultural, and welfare initiatives as key expressions of Portuguese presence in Macau. The Bishop indicated willingness to remain in his post without reservation, reassured by assurances of personal safety and institutional backing from both the Portuguese state and the Holy See. This document provides critical insight into the interplay between colonial administration, Catholic ecclesiastical structures, and geopolitical concerns within Portugal’s overseas territories during the late 1960s.

Folder with four documents

Folder with 9 documents

Folder with eight documents

Folder with four letters, July-August 1965.

Folder with 11 documents

Folder with seven documents about protestant missions in Macau.

Article about Macau and its bishop. An article about the Portuguese community is also part of the same issue.

This 1941 diplomatic report, issued by the Portuguese Consulate in Manila to the Consul of Portugal in Canton, China, documents administrative and consular challenges faced by Portuguese interests in the Philippines during a period of escalating geopolitical tension. The correspondence outlines efforts to procure forest seeds and tropical arboriculture expertise for Macau, hindered by restrictions on foreign consular engagement with Filipino authorities under the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which mandated U.S. oversight of Philippine foreign relations. It further details attempts to acquire a cargo vessel for commercial use, obstructed by Filipino export bans due to wartime shipping shortages, and the procurement of medical supplies for Timor through the Macau-based firm "A Macaense." The report highlights difficulties in fulfilling requests for steel reinforcement rods and sanitation vehicles, both subject to U.S. export controls on strategic materials. A key focus is the implementation of a new Filipino alien registration decree requiring all foreigners to register with passports and pay substantial fees, creating hardship for long-term Portuguese residents lacking formal entry documentation. The freezing of European assets by U.S. executive order is noted, impacting Portuguese financial holdings and necessitating special permits for transactions. The document also describes political and economic instability, including disruptions in sugar, hemp, and coconut oil exports due to shipping shortages, and expresses concern over Japanese commercial and agricultural presence in Davao, including former firearm licences and fishing activities viewed with suspicion. The report concludes with cautious pessimism regarding regional stability amid rising international tensions.

Reclaims of chinese authorities for the practice of Chinese Medicine in Macau

Vernacular conflict related to housing and rent in Fuzhou mediated by Club Lusitano, Fuzhou

Diverse documents related to canned fish trade between Macau and Portugal.

Diverse documents and correspondence regarding the plans for the air connection between US and Macau.

Diverse documents and correspondence related to the work on reclamation in the proximity of Macau. The river conservancy commission is in a separate document.

Organization of the Lottery in the name of Santa Casa de Misericordia

Correspondence regarding the visit of the battleship Macau to the Portuguese mission in Shiu Hing and possible need of evacuation.

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.

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.