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This abstract describes a formal royal letter dated 3 June 1778, issued by the Viscount of Vila Nova da Cerveira from the Palace of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, addressed to Friar Nathan Guifet (also recorded as Fray Natanael Gurgel), confirming the appointment of an individual—whose name is redacted or illegible in the original document—as coadjutor bishop and designated successor to the Bishop of Nanking. The document references a confirmatory papal bull and outlines procedural requirements for verifying the appointee’s canonical qualifications in anticipation of formal papal confirmation. It further states that Her Most Serene Highness the Queen, acting through royal warrant concerning the affairs of the Kingdom, authorised the issuance of a Royal Letter of Appointment composed in accordance with established legal and ecclesiastical form. The text reflects the interplay between Portuguese crown authority and Catholic ecclesiastical governance in the late eighteenth century, particularly concerning episcopal appointments in China. Researchers will find this document valuable for studying colonial-era ecclesiastical administration, Sino-Portuguese religious diplomacy, and the mechanisms of royal patronage in the Catholic Church’s missionary hierarchy. The document forms part of Bundle B, Document 88, within a larger archival collection designated as Lecture Continuation, and bears the folio number 127.
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This abstract describes a formal colonial ecclesiastical certificate issued on 24 June 1778 at the Palace of Our Lady of the Conception in Goa by Dom Francisco de Assis de Távora, Count of Vilanor, Viceroy of Portuguese India. The document concerns canonical proceedings related to the bishoprics of Nanjing and Beijing—designated as successor sees, with Beijing succeeding Nanjing—and addresses the validity of actions taken against their respective bishops. It authorises the Roman Curia to ordain priests absent from their dioceses on grounds of native status, affirming the Curia’s competence to initiate and oversee requisite canonical processes. The Viceroy directs the recipient—addressed as “Your Excellency”—to ensure these processes are completed locally and submitted to him, together with formal letters of presentation (Apresentações), for onward transmission to the Holy Father. Emphasis is placed on the urgent issuance of papal bulls (Bullas) and certificates of fitness (ciências) for both bishoprics, to be processed with the same expedition granted to their immediate predecessors. The document further mandates the transmission of three certified copies (transumptos), each accompanied by two duplicate certified copies, of all relevant documents—including the letters of presentation—to the Secretariat of State (Secretaria dos Negócios do Reino). This certificate serves as a key administrative and canonical instrument reflecting Portuguese imperial ecclesiastical governance in Asia during the late eighteenth century.