The Catholic Church in Portugal is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian organisation. It is Portugal's largest religion and its former state religion, and has existed in the territory since the Iberian Peninsula was ruled by the Roman Empire. There are an estimated nine million baptised Catholics in Portugal in twenty dioceses, served by 2789 priests. Although a large number wish to be baptized, married in the church, and receive last rites, only 19% of the national population attend Mass and take the sacraments regularly. In 2010, the average age of priests was 62. In 2012 88% of the Portuguese population considered themselves culturally Catholic in a commissioned survey of religious attitudes sponsored by a Christian organization.
History
Catholicism was introduced to what is now Portugal under the Roman Empire in the first half of the first millennium AD. The modern Portuguese state was founded in 1139 by Afonso Henriques during the Reconquista, in which the Catholic kingdoms of the northern Iberian Peninsula reconquered the South from the Islamic Moors. Crusaders from other Catholic realms aided the reconquest, which Portugal finished in 1249. Exploration and the creation of the Portuguese Empire from the early 15th century onward spread Catholicism to Portuguese colonies in Africa, Asia and South America. The Lusophone countries of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé e Principe and Timor-Leste all have Catholic majorities as a result. The state of Goa, India, was also part of the Portuguese Empire and a large Goan Catholic minority remains. The Portuguese Republic, established in 1910, abolished Catholicism as state religion. The right-wing Estado Novo regime from 1932 to 1974 re-established state Catholicism, which was subsequently disestablished along with the regime.
Organization
Within Portugal, the hierarchy consists of archbishops and bishops. At the top of the hierarchy is the archbishop who is known as the Patriarch of Lisbon. The remainder of the dioceses of Portugal, each headed by a bishop, includes:
Two popes have been born in what is now Portugal, although only the latter was ever a subject of a country by that name. Damasus I was born in what is now Portugal in 306, and his reign as pope from 366 to 384 saw the Scriptures translated to Latin. He is now a Saint, with his feast celebrated on December 11. Pedro Julião, born in Lisbon around 1215, led the church as Pope John XXI from 1276 to 1277.
