The Roman Catholic Church in Portugal is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The Roman Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian organisation.
There are an estimated nine million baptised Catholics in Portugal (84% of the population), in twenty dioceses, served by 2789 priests. 19% of the national population attend mass and take the sacraments regularly (although a larger number wish to be baptized, married in the church, and receive last rites).
In 2010, the average age of priests was 62.
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:
- Lisbon (with the dignity of Patriarchate)
- Angra
- Funchal
- Guarda
- Leiria-Fátima
- Portalegre-Castelo Branco
- Santarém
- Setúbal
- Braga
- Aveiro
- Bragança-Miranda
- Coimbra
- Lamego
- Porto
- Viana do Castelo
- Vila Real
- Viseu
- Évora
- Beja
- Faro
Portugal is also the location of one of the major Catholic shrines and Marian pilgrimage sites. In the city of Fátima, in the municipality of Ourém, it honors Our Lady of Fátima.
Famous quotes containing the words roman and/or catholicism:
“The Roman Road runs straight and bare
As the pale parting-line in hair
Across the heath.”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)
“When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the world-old, world-wide religio of amulets and holy places and priestcraft. Protestantism, in its corresponding decay, becomes a vague mist of ethical platitudes. Catholicism is accused of being too much like all the other religions; Protestantism of being insufficiently like a religion at all. Hence Plato, with his transcendent Forms, is the doctor of Protestants; Aristotle, with his immanent Forms, the doctor of Catholics.”
—C.S. (Clive Staples)