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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 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

Confidential political intelligence report issued by the General Consulate of Portugal in Canton on 31 January 1939, documenting conditions in Japanese-occupied South China during the Sino-Japanese Conflict. The document, part of a series of periodic reports (No. 20, reference 267–270, 276), examines Japanese occupation policies in Canton and Guangdong Province, focusing on forced repatriation of refugees, economic exploitation, public health deterioration, and systematic appropriation of property under military control. It analyses political dynamics including Chiang Kai-shek’s delayed resistance, the contested patriotism of Wang Jingwei’s peace advocacy, and public scepticism toward Japanese diplomatic overtures. The report details coercive tactics used to repopulate Canton, including forced displacement from surrounding villages and deceptive resettlement campaigns extending to Macau. Infrastructure such as schools and transport is described as reorganised for Japanese ideological and logistical purposes without substantive investment. Widespread squalor, absence of basic utilities, and unhygienic living conditions are recorded, alongside arbitrary security levies and unchecked criminal activity. The text further notes repeated violations of Portuguese interests, including the seizure of cargo from Portuguese vessels near Shameen and the looting of Dr. John Tong’s residence. Ecclesiastical properties along the West River, previously declared to Japanese authorities, were bombed, causing substantial damage. Despite formal protests, accountability remains absent. The report concludes that Japanese occupation, marked by repression and economic strain, fails to gain popular acceptance and mirrors broader patterns across occupied China.

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