Roman Catholic Diocese of Portalegre-Castelo Branco
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The Portuguese Catholic diocese of Portalegre-Castelo Branco' has carried this name since 1956, when the historical diocese of Portalegre was renamed. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Lisbon.[1]
[edit] History
Portalegre was established as a see by Pope Julius III, in 1550, taking territory from the archdiocese of Évora and diocese of Guarda. Its first bishop was Julian d'Alva, a Spaniard, who was transferred to the diocese of Miranda in 1557. On 17 July, 1560, Andiz' de Noronha succeeded to the diocese, but he was promoted to the diocese of Placencia in 1581. Frei Amador Arraes, the next bishop, was a Carmelite and the author of a celebrated book of Dialogues[2]; he resigned in 1582, and retired to the college of his order in Coimbra, where he remained till his death. Lopo Soares de Albergaria and Frei Manoel de Gouveia died before receiving the Bulls confirming their nomination.
Diego Conra, nephew of the Venerable Bartholomew of the Martyrs and Bishop of Ceuta, became bishop in 1598, and died on 9 October, 1614. Among the bishops of Portalegre during the seventeenth century was Ricardo Russell, an Englishman, who took possession of the see on 17 September, 1671, and was subsequently transferred to the diocese of Vizeu.
In 1881 the territory of the diocese of Castelo Branco and diocese of Elvas was added, when these were suppressed.
Antonio Mutinho was transferred from the diocese of Caboverde in 1909.[3]
[edit] Notes
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
