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This dissertation analyses the role of bishops of eight dioceses created in Asia (Goa, Malacca, Macao and Funai and Manila, Cebu, Neuva Cáceres and Nueva Segovia) for the consolidation of the Royal Power of the Iberian crowns between 1558 and 1668. To deal with this issue, this thesis looks at the creation of bishoprics as part of the territorialisation strategies of the Iberian monarchies. It understands the episcopal appointments in the context of the so-called “economia de mercês” (i.e. a system based on the principle that kings used royal appointment to promote loyalty between them and their subjects). And it analysis the transfer of legal frameworks and ecclesiastical institutions, particularly the cathedrals and the parishes, from Europe to Asia. The chronological period includes two important milestones that had a major impact on the dimensions just mentioned. The first is related to the Iberian Union, when the Iberian crowns became subject to the same monarchs. The second is related to the foundation of Propaganda Fide in 1622, which corresponds to the affirmation of Rome's direct intervention in missionary areas, which was visible from very early on in the Estado da Índia. Using mostly documents from Portuguese, Spanish and Vatican archives, while taking advantage of the comparative perspective methods, I’ll argue that despite various limits, the episcopate was a central pillar in the consolidation of power of the Iberian monarchies, which were particularly dependent on the bishops in these regions, given the absence of many other structures that guaranteed the preservation of royal authority. It is in the tension between the project of consolidating authority and political dominance and the resistance and limits it faced that this thesis is developed.
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Home altars have long been a part of many religious traditions. In each culture, the home altar offers an important sanctuary, providing a sacred space for prayers and meditation, often accompanied by distinct rituals. This private, personal, yet communal space is non-hierarchical, relational, and very often taken care of by women. This study explores how Catholic women perceive and practice their faith within their households in Macau. I argue that domestic religious practices allow women to reconstruct ethnic and religious identities, creating sacred spaces that help them navigate social change while at the same time serving as a powerful means of evangelizing. This dissertation explores the relationship among women, mission, and spirituality examined through domestic devotional practices. By interviewing twenty-one women from three major Catholic ethnic groups in Macau -- Chinese, Filipino and Macanese -- we learn how their altar-making and veneration creates hope and trust and see how the altar acts as a spiritual oasis personally and communally. Women’s roles are not only confined to their homes; they can contribute meaningfully both to society and the church through their participation in the most diverse professional disciplines and ecclesial leadership roles. Yet the home remains a source of creative power, providing the inspiration and strength for women to bring forth their mission to the wider community. Through the narratives of our interviewees from this study, we see how home altar veneration and their related devotional practices act as vehicles for women’s missioning. Women’s special sensitivity and empathy for others promote and nourish the growth and development of the whole human person -- for themselves, for their families, and for those who work with them. Their participatory and personally-oriented approach is the unique gift that women bring to the Church in Asia.