Metropolitan Patriarchate of Lisbon Patriarchatus Metropolitæ Olisiponensis Patriarcado Metropolitana de Lisboa | |
|---|---|
Seal | |
| Location | |
| Country | |
| Ecclesiastical province | Lisbon |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 3,735 km2 (1,442 sq mi) |
Population
|
|
| Parishes | 285 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 4th century |
| Cathedral | Lisbon Cathedral |
| Patron saint | Vincent of Saragossa |
| Secular priests | 281 (Diocesan) 250 (Religious Orders) 95 Permanent Deacons |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Metropolitan Patriarch | Rui I |
| Suffragans | Angra Funchal Guarda Leiria-Fátima Portalegre-Castelo Branco Santarém Setúbal |
| Auxiliary Bishops | |
| Bishops emeritus | Manuel III |
| Map | |
The Archdiocese of Lisbon shown in a darker red. | |
| Website | |
| patriarcado-lisboa.pt | |
TheMetropolitan Patriarchate of Lisbon (Latin:Patriarchatus Metropolitæ Olisiponensis) is aLatin Church ecclesiastical territory orpatriarchalarchdiocese of theCatholic Church inLisbon, the capital ofPortugal.
Itsarchiepiscopal see is thePatriarchal Cathedral of St. Mary Major, in Lisbon. The patriarchate also has threeminor basilicas: theBasilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs andBasilica of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Estrela, both in Lisbon; theBasilica of Our Lady and St. Anthony inMafra; and twoWorld Heritage Site monasteries: theMonastery of the Hieronymites, in Lisbon, and theMonastery of Saint Mary of Alcobaça, inAlcobaça.
The patriarchate pastorally served, as per 2014, 1,648,885 Catholics (86% of 1,924,650 total) on 3,735 km2 in 285 parishes and 604 missions, with 543 priests (291 diocesan, 252 religious), 84 deacons, 1,505 lay religious (401 brothers, 1,104 sisters) and 54 seminarians.[citation needed]
The diocese ofLisbon was created in the 4th century, but it lay vacant after 716 when the city was captured by theMoors, notwithstanding that there are references toMozarabic bishops of theMozarabic Rite in that period. The diocese was restored during theSecond Crusade in 1147 when the city was captured by KingAfonso I of Portugal after thesiege of Lisbon. A crusader's account of that event refers to the local "elderly Bishop of the city" being slain "against all right and justice", by marauding Flemish and German crusaders, in direct defiance of the terms of the city's rendition.[1]
As Portugal grew in political importance and colonial possessions the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Lisbon expanded; Stadel says in hisCompendium geographiae ecclesiasticae universalis (1712) thatCoimbra,Leiria,Portalegre,Elvas,Funchal,Angra,Congo,St. James of Cape Verde,São Tomé, andBaia of All Saints were suffragans of Lisbon.[2] As a reward for its assistance against theTurks,Pope Clement XI in 1708 raised the Chapel of the Royal Palace to Collegiate rank and associated with it three parishes in the dioceses of Bragança and Lamego. Later, yielding to the request of KingJohn V, he issued the BullIn Supremo Apostolatus Solio (22 October 1716) – known as the Golden Bull because the seal orbulla was affixed with gold instead of lead – giving the collegiate chapel cathedral rank, with metropolitical rights, and conferring on its titular the rank of patriarch.
The city ofLisbon was ecclesiastically divided into Eastern and Western Lisbon. The former archbishop of Lisbon retained jurisdiction over Eastern Lisbon, and had assuffragan dioceses those ofGuarda, Portalegre, St. James of Cape Verde, São Tomé, andSão Salvador in Congo. Western Lisbon and metropolitan rights over Leiria,Lamego, Funchal and Angra, together with elaborate privileges and honours, were granted to the new patriarch and his successors. It was further agreed between pope and king that the patriarch of Lisbon should be made a cardinal at the first consistory following his appointment (Inter praecipuas apostolici ministerii, 1737).
The first patriarch of Lisbon was Tomás de Almeida (1670–1754), formerly bishop of Porto; he was raised to the cardinalate on 20 December 1737 byPope Clement XII. There thus existed side by side in the city of Lisbon two metropolitical churches. To obviate the inconvenience of this arrangementPope Benedict XIV (13 December 1740) united East and West Lisbon into one single archdiocese under Patriarch Almeida, who ruled the see until his death in 1754. The double chapter however remained until 1843, when the old cathedral chapter was dissolved byPope Gregory XVI. It was during the patriarchate of Cardinal Almeida (1746) that the famous Chapel of Saint John the Baptist was built in Rome (1742–1747) at the expense ofKing John V and consecrated by Pope Benedict XIV, and then transported to and reconstructed in theChurch of St. Roch in Lisbon. Patriarch Almeida is buried in the chancel of that church.
At what date the patriarchs of Lisbon began to quarter the tiara with three crowns, though without the keys, on their coat of arms is uncertain and there are no documents referring to the grant of such a privilege. By apostolic letters dated 30 September 1881 the metropolitan of Lisbon claims as suffragans the dioceses ofAngola, St. James of Cape Verde, São Tomé, Egitan,Portalegre,Angra, andFunchal.
Throughout history, many privileges have been granted to the patriarchate of Lisbon and its patriarch by the Holy See.[3][4]

These privileges were granted by PopesClement XI,Innocent XIII,Benedict XIII andClement XII. However, some have fallen into disuse over the centuries.






Lisbon, being one of the oldest cities in Iberia, has had a rich ecclesiastical history, in which the ordinaries of Lisbon have held different titles, partially depending on the country/city's rulers and their political/colonial power.
After the Muslim invasion of Lisbon in 716, the see wasvacant. The diocese was revitalized with theSiege of Lisbon in 1147, when the city was once again in Christian hands.
Thesuffragan sees of the archdiocese are:
38°42′53″N9°7′39″W / 38.71472°N 9.12750°W /38.71472; -9.12750