Storia do Mogor 338.24
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 338.24
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338.24.1
Goa, 23rd of December of 1704. Of Your Honour, etc. (Signed) Archbishop Primate. Here is a copy of the Pastoral that the Most Illustrious the Lord Primate of Goa sent to the Reverend Father Friar Michel Ange, vicar of the Church in Madras, a similar one being sent to the fortress of Pondicherry, both to the following effect: The Doctor Dom Friar Augustinho da Annunciação, by favour of God and of the Holy Catholic Church Archbishop Metropolitan of Goa, Primate of India and other parts of the East, of the Council of His Majesty, et cetera. To all faithful Christians salutation and peace in Jesus Christ, who is for every one the true Redeemer and Saviour.
338.24.2
We make known that on our shoulders, however unequal to it, the Catholic Church has imposed the burden of all Christian flocks, from the Cape of Good Hope even unto Tartary, as Primate for the whole of the Orient. Holy Mother Church relies on Our Vigilance for the defence of the vast Christian communities of all Asia, not permitting that any enter therein with any jurisdiction derogatory of the Primatial rights to Us entrusted nor under any other [228] title, until he shall first have promulgated his Bulls and powers, thereby proving the delegation entrusted to him by the Holy Catholic Church. This legal publication must be made in the form fixed by the said Church, adverting to the great inconveniences and abuses that might be introduced into the congregations and the houses of God, if the powers and delegations conferred by His Holiness were not examined, whoever may be the persons who have to exercise jurisdiction within any community of Christians.
338.24.3
As the Most Holy Father Boniface VIII. ordained in his Clementina, 'Injunctae,' 'Sane de electione inter communes,' no person asserting a delegation shall be believed or obeyed until he shall have previously made legal publication of his commission. He ordained that any interdicts fulminated by such a person should be null and of no effect. This law prevails throughout the Catholic Church, above all in Asia, which is at such a distance from the Apostolic See, where it would be difficult to redress any abuses introduced by a person who might thus act under his powers as delegate. Therefore we declare that the Lord Dom Carlos Thomas, entitling himself Patriarch of Antioch and Legate à latere, has tried to introduce himself into the Christian communities of India, altering the laws and civil customs of the Christians without having experience of them, and perturbing these congregations. Those in Madras are, we find, deprived of the administration of the sacraments, the friars, their parish priests, being by him declared outside the law.
338.24.4
This mode of proceeding in a business involving the salvation of souls is violent, and in derogation of the privileges of His Most Serene Majesty of Portugal, which, if they are to be of any value, do not admit of such derogation. These acts were done entirely without the Legate's Bulls and the powers under his commission being made known in a legal manner to the prelates who were competent to grant such jurisdiction. In so acting he contravened the laws of the Church and the rights of the Royal Patronage [229] of the Crown of Portugal, and usurped the powers of this Primacy. We declare the interdicts so imposed to be null and void, admit the persons denounced in them to the administration of the sacraments, ordain to all friars and secular priests dwelling within this Primacy non-obedience to and disregard of his interdicts, until such time as he shall first prove his powers under the delegation, and establish its legality. We hold the said Lord Dom Carlos Thomas as cited, inhibiting him, under pain of excommunication, from the exercise of any act of jurisdiction derogatory of the rights of this Primacy and of the Royal Patronage, until he shall first prove to Us legally the powers of his Commission. Given at Goa under Our signature and seal on the 22nd of December of 1704. I, Henrique Bravo de Moraes, chief treasurer of the Primatial See of Goa, have caused this Act to be written and subscribe it. (Signed) Henrique Bravo de Moraes. (Signed) Archbishop Primate.
338.24.5
The Seal Gratis Moraes. The said pastoral the Very Reverend Father Friar Michel Ange, Vicar of Madras, caused to be publicly authenticated in the chancery of the Lord Bishop of Mailãpur, by procuring the order and attestation of the Vicar-General, so that all the people were satisfied. But the Dominican Father, Friar Diogo do Sacramento, declined to submit either to the Primate of Goa or to the Lord Bishop of Mailãpur. For this purpose he fixed up a document, opposing submission, on the door of his church, but the people took no heed of his impertinence. This manifesto was as follows: