The Council of Trent and the Residence of Bishops in the Diocese of Cape Verde (1553–1705)
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Jairzinho Lopes Pereira
Abstract
The Council of Trent (1545–1563) regarded the reform of the episcopate as the cornerstone of the Catholic Reformation. Hence the Conciliar Fathers put emphasis on the much neglected duty of residence of bishops. To ensure compliance, the Roman Catholic Church relied heavily on Christian monarchs, patrons of the Churches in the territories under their jurisdiction. The present study analyses to what extent the Tridentine decree on the residence of bishops was enforced in the diocese of Cape Verde (under Portuguese control) between 1553 and 1705. The hypothesis of this study can be stated simply: despite the efforts to enforce the residence of bishops in Cape Verde, the socio-economic limitations of the diocese as well as political and administrative constraints in Portugal significantly hampered the authorities in their effort to enforce long-term residence in that overseas diocese.
Acknowledgment
In this paper I want to record my gratitude to my teacher Marilene Pereira.
Note
In this study the following abbreviations are used: AHU/CU – Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino/Conselho Ultramarino (Lisbon); cx. – caixa (box); doc. – document; MMA – Monumenta Missionaria Africana (the volumes of MMA referred to here are of the second series, and edited by António Brásio between 1964 and 2004. Volumes I–IV, published by Agência Geral do Ultramar in 1964–1968; volumes V–VI, published by Academia Portuguesa de História, in 1979, and 1991 respectively; and volume VII, published by Centro de Estudos Africanos da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa in 2004).
©2016 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The Coming of Age of the Lutheran Congregation in Early Modern Amsterdam
- Lutheran Exiles of Christ in the Sixteenth Century
- The Council of Trent and the Residence of Bishops in the Diocese of Cape Verde (1553–1705)
- “Capricious, Seductive, and Insurrectionary”
- “That There Be No Schisms among You”
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The Coming of Age of the Lutheran Congregation in Early Modern Amsterdam
- Lutheran Exiles of Christ in the Sixteenth Century
- The Council of Trent and the Residence of Bishops in the Diocese of Cape Verde (1553–1705)
- “Capricious, Seductive, and Insurrectionary”
- “That There Be No Schisms among You”
