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❓Did the Assignment of the Bishop to the City of Angra Result from a Mistake?

Alongside civil administration, an ecclesiastical organization was established in the archipelago. Initially, this distinction was meaningless, as Prince Henry the Navigator, in his role as master of the Order of Christ, combined the functions of a donatary with spiritual authority over the islands.

Until the late 15th century, temporal and spiritual rule over the islands remained concentrated in the same person. In 1495, the archipelago became politically dependent on the king, and in 1514, it fell under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishopric of Funchal.

In 1534, the Azores were granted their own bishopric, headquartered in Angra. Interestingly, the choice of Angra as the seat of the bishopric appears to have resulted from a mistake—or at least a geographical misunderstanding. In King John III’s request to the Holy See, São Miguel was the island initially designated. The Pope accepted the request but added certain geographical details that did not align with the intended island. The papal bull stated that:

"Among other islands subject to the Diocese of Funchal, there was one named São Miguel, the largest and most notable of all the islands called the Azores, populated by a large Christian community, and in the part of the same island called Angra, there stood a distinguished parish church under the invocation of São Salvador."

How could this misunderstanding, this geographical confusion, be resolved?

Should they opt for São Miguel, the most populous island with the greatest agricultural potential? Or for the city of Angra, which had already become the archipelago’s most important settlement due to its strategic role?

By decision of King John III, the reigning monarch at the time, this geographical inaccuracy ultimately benefited Angra. That same year, Angra was elevated to the status of a city and became the bishopric’s seat, establishing itself as the spiritual center of the archipelago.

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