Carta do Bispo de Macau, D. Frei Eugénio Trigueiros, a [D. João V], rei de Portugal, sobre a questão entre o Bispo e o governador relativa aos limites das respectivas jurisdições
The document is a 1741 ecclesiastical–administrative correspondence from Macau, comprising a formal letter dated 3 October 1741 from the Bishop of Macau to the Governor and Captain-General of Macau, followed by the Governor’s detailed reply, both concerning the contested scope of ecclesiastical juri...
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| Summary: | The document is a 1741 ecclesiastical–administrative correspondence from Macau, comprising a formal letter dated 3 October 1741 from the Bishop of Macau to the Governor and Captain-General of Macau, followed by the Governor’s detailed reply, both concerning the contested scope of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over garrison soldiers under Portuguese colonial rule. The Bishop asserts the universal canonical principle that all Christians—including soldiers—within the diocese are subject to his spiritual and judicial authority without requiring secular licence, invoking the *Padroado Real*, the *Leis Cordens* (Concordat), and precedents from Goa and other Catholic realms; he challenges the Governor’s claim to prior authorisation for arrests, citations, or enforcement of ecclesiastical orders, denouncing it as an abusive innovation contradicting established practice and canon law. The Governor counters that military personnel owe him absolute obedience in temporal and disciplinary matters, permitting ecclesiastical summons only with advance notification and refusing ecclesiastical arrest authority absent a sealed royal warrant (*Carta Fechada*), citing manpower constraints and royal prerogative. Both parties reference the *ouvidor* (royal magistrate), conflicting interpretations of viceregal instructions from Goa, and the juridical distinction between *foro misto* and purely ecclesiastical competence. The exchange constitutes a primary source for analysing tensions between ecclesiastical autonomy and colonial military governance in the Portuguese Empire during the mid-eighteenth century. Anexos: 1741-11-10 - Despacho do Conselho Ultramarino ao procurador da Coroa que pede o parecer sobre a carta do Bispo de Macau. No mesmo documento, contém o parecer do procurador da Coroa. 1742-02-17 - Provisão (cópia) de D. João V, rei de Portugal, ao governador e capitão-geral de Macau, Manuel Pereira Coutinho, em que ordena que a jurisdição eclesiástica só deve ser exercida nos casos que pertencem ao foro da igreja. |
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