Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church

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The Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church (Portuguese: Igreja Lusitana Católica Apostólica Evangélica) is the Anglican church in Portugal.

[edit] History

The establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1834 granted limited religious toleration to non-Roman Catholics, and consequently led to the opening of an Anglican chapel in Lisbon. A second chapel was opened in 1868.

The Anglican mission coincided with the growing influence of the Old Catholic movement in Portugal. Congregations were created from Roman Catholic priests and laypeople who refused to accept the dogmas of the infallibility and universal ordinary jurisdiction of the Pope, as defined by the First Vatican Council in 1870.

The Lusitanian Church was formed in 1880 as representatives of these congregations met at a synod presided over by H.C. Riley, bishop of the newly formed mission in Mexico. The synod resulted in a constitution and a decision to abide by the doctrinal and liturgical standards of the Anglican Communion. Like the Church of England, the Lusitanian Church endeavored to create a national church that would restore the faith and practice that predated the period of Roman dominance. In 1884, a Portuguese Book of Common Prayer was created, incorporating elements of Anglican, Roman, and Mozarabic liturgies.

From the beginning the church was assisted by a Council of Bishops presided over by Lord Plunkett, at that time Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath, and years afterwards there were some American Episcopal Bishops who provided Episcopal ministrations and pastoral care, particularly Bishops in Charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe, until the consecration of the first Lusitanian Bishop in 1958.

Under the terms of the Bonn Agreement, the Lusitanian Church established full communion with various branches of the Anglican and Old Catholic Communions. Full integration into the Anglican Communion occurred in 1980 when the Church became an extraprovincial diocese under the metropolitical authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Today the Lusitanian Church is a diocese with 15 parishes and missions.