Braga (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

José Manuel Garcia Cordeiro, Archbishop
Delfim Jorge Esteves Gomes, Auxiliary Bishop
Jorge Ferreira da Costa Ortiga, Archbishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese
Elevated: 1099
Metropolitan See
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Portugal
Square Kilometers: 2,857 (1,103 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: http://www.diocese-braga.pt/
Mailing Address: Rua Sao Domingos 94/B, 4710-435 Braga CODEX, Portugal
Telephone: 253.20.31.80
Fax: 253.20.31.90

Historical Details

Diocese of Braga
- Latin Name: Bracarensis
- Erected: 4th Century
- Country: Portugal

Past and Present Ordinaries

St. Geraldo de Moissac, O.S.B. † (3 Jul 1095 Appointed - 5 Dec 1108 Died)
Maurice Bourdin, O.S.B. † ( 1111 Appointed - 1114 Resigned)
Paio Mendes † ( 1115 Appointed - 1137 Died)
João Peculiar † (Oct 1138 Appointed - 3 Dec 1175 Died)
Godinho † (Dec 1175 Appointed - 31 Jul 1188 Died)
Martinho Pires † ( 1189 Appointed - 1209 Died)
Estêvão Soares da Silva † ( 1212 Appointed - 27 Aug 1228 Died)
Silvestre Godinho † (5 Jul 1229 Appointed - 8 Jul 1244 Died)
João Egas † (20 Jan 1245 Appointed - 1255 Died)
Martinho Geraldes † (11 Apr 1255 Appointed - 1 Sep 1271 Died)
Ordoño Álvarez † (23 May 1275 Appointed - 12 Mar 1278 Appointed, Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati)
Telo , O.F.M. † (6 Apr 1278 Appointed - 23 Nov 1292 Died)
Martinho Pires de Oliveira † (30 Jul 1295 Appointed - 25 Mar 1313 Died)
João Martins de Soalhães † (8 Oct 1313 Appointed - 1 May 1325 Died)
Gonçalo Pereira † (27 Feb 1326 Appointed - 1348 Died)
Guilherme de la Garde † (27 Jul 1349 Appointed - 16 Jun 1361 Appointed, Archbishop of Arles)
Jean de Cardaillac † (18 Jun 1361 Appointed - 18 Jul 1371 Appointed, Titular Patriarch of Alexandria {Alessandria})
Vasco Rodrigues (de Meneses Fernandes) † (11 Aug 1371 Appointed - 18 Nov 1372 Died)
Lorenzo Vicente de Lourinhan † (19 Dec 1373 Appointed - 1384 Resigned)
Martinho Perez de Charneca † (12 Jun 1398 Appointed - 25 Mar 1416 Died)
Fernando de Guerra † (15 Dec 1417 Appointed - 26 Sep 1467 Died)
Luís Pires † (8 Feb 1468 Appointed - Mar 1480 Died)
João de Melo † (5 Sep 1481 Appointed - 1482 Died)
Garcia , O.S.B. † (22 May 1482 Appointed - 27 Jul 1485 Died)
Jorge da Costa, O. Cist. † ( 1486 Appointed - 1488 Resigned)
Jorge da Costa † ( 1488 Appointed - 30 Aug 1501 Died)
Diego de Souza † (11 Jul 1505 Appointed - 8 Jun 1532 Died)
Henrique de Portugal † (30 Apr 1533 Appointed - 24 Sep 1540 Appointed, Archbishop of Évora)
Diego da Silva, O.F.M. † (24 Sep 1540 Appointed - Dec 1541 Died)
Eduardo de Portugal † (6 Feb 1542 Appointed - 11 Nov 1543 Died)
Manuel de Sousa † (22 Mar 1545 Appointed - 18 Jul 1549 Resigned)
Baltazar Limpo, O. Carm. † (23 May 1550 Appointed - 21 Mar 1559 Died)
St. Bartolomé Fernandes dos Mártires, O.P. † (29 Jan 1559 Confirmed - 23 Feb 1582 Resigned)
João Afonso de Meneses † (6 Nov 1581 Appointed - 14 Jul 1587 Died)
Agostinho a Jesu (Pedro) de Castro, O.S.A. † (13 Jun 1588 Appointed - 25 Nov 1609 Died)
Alexeu de Jesu de Meneses, O.S.A. † (19 Mar 1612 Appointed - 3 May 1617 Died)
Afonso Furtado de Mendonça † (12 Nov 1618 Appointed - 2 Dec 1626 Appointed, Archbishop of Lisboa)
Rodrigo da Cunha † (27 Jan 1627 Confirmed - 3 Dec 1635 Appointed, Archbishop of Lisboa)
Sebastião de Matos de Noronha † (9 Jun 1636 Confirmed - 28 Jul 1641 Died)
Veríssimo de Lencastre † (22 Dec 1670 Appointed - 8 Feb 1677 Resigned)
Luís de Sousa † (8 Feb 1677 Appointed - 29 Apr 1690 Died)
José de Menezes † (10 Mar 1692 Appointed - 16 Feb 1696 Died)
João de Sousa † (24 Sep 1696 Appointed - 1 Oct 1703 Appointed, Archbishop of Lisboa)
Rodrigo de Moura Telles † (10 Mar 1704 Appointed - 4 Sep 1728 Died)
José de Bragança † (19 Dec 1740 Confirmed - 3 Jun 1756 Died)
Gaspar de Bragança † (13 Mar 1758 Confirmed - 18 Jan 1789 Died)
Cayetano Da Annunciação Brandão, T.O.R. † (29 Mar 1790 Confirmed - 15 Dec 1805 Died)
José da Costa e Torres † (26 Aug 1806 Confirmed - 26 Aug 1813 Died)
Miguel Antonio da Cruz, O.F.M. Disc. † (4 Sep 1815 Confirmed - 20 Aug 1827 Died)
Pedro Paulo de Figuereido da Cunha e Melo † (3 Apr 1843 Confirmed - 31 Dec 1855 Died)
José Joaquim de Azevedo e Moura † (16 Jun 1856 Confirmed - 27 Nov 1876 Died)
João Crisóstomo de Amorim Pessoa, O.F.M. Ref. † (27 Nov 1876 Succeeded - Apr 1883 Resigned)
António José de Freitas Honorato † (9 Aug 1883 Confirmed - 28 Dec 1898 Died)
Manuel Baptista da Costa (da Cunha) † (23 May 1899 Confirmed - 13 May 1913 Died)
Manuel Vieira de Matos † (1 Oct 1914 Appointed - 28 Sep 1932 Died)
Antonio Bento Martins Júnior † (28 Sep 1932 Succeeded - 19 Aug 1963 Died)
Francisco Maria da Silva † (12 Dec 1963 Appointed - 14 Apr 1977 Died)
Eurico Dias Nogueira † (3 Nov 1977 Appointed - 5 Jun 1999 Retired)
Jorge Ferreira da Costa Ortiga (5 Jun 1999 Appointed - 3 Dec 2021 Retired)
José Manuel Garcia Cordeiro (3 Dec 2021 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Braga
4th Century	Erected		Diocese of Braga (erected)
558	Territory Lost	Diocese of Braga	Diocese of Dume (erected)
1070	Restored		Diocese of Braga
Archdiocese of Braga
1099	Elevated	Diocese of Braga	Archdiocese of Braga (or 1100)
1 April 1103	Elevated		Archdiocese of Braga (became Metropolitan)
23 March 1545	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Braga	Diocese of Miranda (do Douro) (erected)
20 April 1922	Territory Lost	Diocese of Bragança e Miranda (19 parishes) Archdiocese of Braga (166 parishes) Diocese of Lamego (71 parishes)	Diocese of Vila Real (erected) (Province of Vila Real)
3 November 1977	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Braga (Viana do Castelo)	Diocese of Viana do Castelo (erected)

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

Archdiocese of Braga

1949 806,694 807,033 100.0% 854 118 972 829 143 848 830 ap1951

1959 895,000 895,480 99.9% 825 160 985 908 205 820 831 ap1960

1970 1,134,900 1,135,000 100.0% 853 201 1,054 1,076 404 718 836 ap1971

1980 729,000 730,000 99.9% 576 145 721 1,011 266 924 548 ap1981

1990 927,000 930,000 99.7% 518 126 644 1,439 2 275 761 551 ap1991

1999 881,000 900,000 97.9% 486 113 599 1,470 8 210 790 551 ap2000

2000 882,000 900,000 98.0% 488 110 598 1,474 7 209 778 551 ap2001

2001 882,000 900,000 98.0% 479 108 587 1,502 8 194 754 551 ap2002

2002 927,000 945,000 98.1% 479 112 591 1,568 9 196 747 551 ap2003

2003 944,304 964,304 97.9% 464 119 583 1,619 7 197 747 551 ap2004

2004 945,000 965,400 97.9% 463 107 570 1,657 8 174 662 551 ap2005

2006 875,000 952,000 91.9% 448 94 542 1,614 8 186 583 551 ap2007

2012 886,300 964,400 91.9% 391 101 492 1,801 8 174 455 552 ap2013

2015 914,000 994,980 91.9% 386 81 467 1,957 15 223 430 551 ap2016

2018 909,900 990,700 91.8% 366 129 495 1,838 11 257 430 551 ap2019

2020 912,370 993,740 91.8% 380 129 509 1,792 13 256 103 551 ap2021

2022 916,000 998,000 91.8% 400 127 527 1,738 13 259 75 551 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Braga
1949	806,694	807,033	100.0%	854	118	972	829		143	848	830	ap1951
1959	895,000	895,480	99.9%	825	160	985	908		205	820	831	ap1960
1970	1,134,900	1,135,000	100.0%	853	201	1,054	1,076		404	718	836	ap1971
1980	729,000	730,000	99.9%	576	145	721	1,011		266	924	548	ap1981
1990	927,000	930,000	99.7%	518	126	644	1,439	2	275	761	551	ap1991
1999	881,000	900,000	97.9%	486	113	599	1,470	8	210	790	551	ap2000
2000	882,000	900,000	98.0%	488	110	598	1,474	7	209	778	551	ap2001
2001	882,000	900,000	98.0%	479	108	587	1,502	8	194	754	551	ap2002
2002	927,000	945,000	98.1%	479	112	591	1,568	9	196	747	551	ap2003
2003	944,304	964,304	97.9%	464	119	583	1,619	7	197	747	551	ap2004
2004	945,000	965,400	97.9%	463	107	570	1,657	8	174	662	551	ap2005
2006	875,000	952,000	91.9%	448	94	542	1,614	8	186	583	551	ap2007
2012	886,300	964,400	91.9%	391	101	492	1,801	8	174	455	552	ap2013
2015	914,000	994,980	91.9%	386	81	467	1,957	15	223	430	551	ap2016
2018	909,900	990,700	91.8%	366	129	495	1,838	11	257	430	551	ap2019
2020	912,370	993,740	91.8%	380	129	509	1,792	13	256	103	551	ap2021
2022	916,000	998,000	91.8%	400	127	527	1,738	13	259	75	551	ap2023

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

João Afonso de Meneses † (Archbishop: 6 Nov 1581 to 14 Jul 1587)
Ludovico Alvares de Figueiredo † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Oct 1716 to 21 Feb 1725)
Ordoño Álvarez † (Archbishop: 23 May 1275 to 12 Mar 1278)
António Alves Martins, T.O.R. †
João Crisóstomo de Amorim Pessoa, O.F.M. Ref. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 17 Nov 1874; Archbishop: 27 Nov 1876 to Apr 1883)
Domingos da Apresentação Fernandes † (Priest: 25 May 1918 to 13 Dec 1952)
José Joaquim de Azevedo e Moura † (Archbishop: 16 Jun 1856 to 27 Nov 1876)
Antonio Botado de Foios Pereira, O.S.A. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Jan 1696 to 27 Jun 1715)
Eugénio Boto da Silva † (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Jul 1741 to 19 Apr 1748)
Maurice Bourdin, O.S.B. † (Archbishop: 1111 to 1114)
Gaspar de Bragança † (Archbishop: 13 Mar 1758 to 18 Jan 1789)
José de Bragança † (Archbishop: 19 Dec 1740 to 3 Jun 1756)
Cayetano Da Annunciação Brandão, T.O.R. † (Archbishop: 29 Mar 1790 to 15 Dec 1805)
Jean de Cardaillac † (Archbishop: 18 Jun 1361 to 18 Jul 1371)
Manuel Alfonso de Carvalho † (Priest: 12 Jul 1936 to 10 Feb 1953)
Agostinho a Jesu (Pedro) de Castro, O.S.A. † (Archbishop: 13 Jun 1588 to 25 Nov 1609)
António de Castro Xavier Monteiro † (Priest: 15 Aug 1942 to 22 Feb 1964)
Francisco Conceicao, O.F.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 22 May 1551)
Jorge da Costa † (Archbishop: 1488 to 30 Aug 1501)
Jorge da Costa, O. Cist. † (Archbishop: 1486 to 1488)
Manuel Baptista da Costa (da Cunha) † (Archbishop: 23 May 1899 to 13 May 1913)
José da Costa e Torres † (Archbishop: 26 Aug 1806 to 26 Aug 1813)
Miguel Antonio da Cruz, O.F.M. Disc. † (Archbishop: 4 Sep 1815 to 20 Aug 1827)
Rodrigo da Cunha † (Archbishop: 27 Jan 1627 to 3 Dec 1635)
Alexander da Silva †
Diego da Silva, O.F.M. † (Archbishop: 24 Sep 1540 to Dec 1541)
Francisco Maria da Silva † (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Dec 1956; Archbishop: 12 Dec 1963 to 14 Apr 1977)
Domingos da Silva Gonçalves †
José Maria da Silva Torres, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 17 Feb 1851 to 7 Nov 1854)
José Dias Correia de Carvalho †
Eurico Dias Nogueira † (Archbishop: 3 Nov 1977 to 5 Jun 1999)
António Francisco dos Santos † (Auxiliary Bishop: 21 Dec 2004 to 21 Sep 2006)
João Egas † (Archbishop: 20 Jan 1245 to 1255)
Francesco de Faria † (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Dec 1640)
St. Bartolomé Fernandes dos Mártires, O.P. † (Archbishop: 29 Jan 1559 to 23 Feb 1582)
Manuel Ferreira Cabral † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Jan 1965 to 3 Jul 1967)
Pedro Paulo de Figuereido da Cunha e Melo † (Archbishop: 3 Apr 1843 to 31 Dec 1855)
António José de Freitas Honorato † (Archbishop: 9 Aug 1883 to 28 Dec 1898)
Afonso Furtado de Mendonça † (Archbishop: 12 Nov 1618 to 2 Dec 1626)
Paio Galvão, O.S.B. †
Martinho Geraldes † (Archbishop: 11 Apr 1255 to 1 Sep 1271)
Silvestre Godinho † (Archbishop: 5 Jul 1229 to 8 Jul 1244)
Antonio José Gomes Cardoso † (Priest: 20 Sep 1879 to 17 Dec 1900)
Joaquim Gonçalves † (Priest: 10 Jul 1960; Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Aug 1981 to 19 May 1987)
Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira † (Priest: 1 Apr 1911 to 23 Mar 1928)
Fernando de Guerra † (Archbishop: 15 Dec 1417 to 26 Sep 1467)
Agostinho de Jesus e Souza † (Priest: 19 Dec 1903 to 4 Aug 1921)
João Pedro Julião †
Guilherme de la Garde † (Archbishop: 27 Jul 1349 to 16 Jun 1361)
Veríssimo de Lencastre † (Archbishop: 22 Dec 1670 to 8 Feb 1677)
Baltazar Limpo, O. Carm. † (Archbishop: 23 May 1550 to 21 Mar 1559)
Agostinho Joaquim Lopes de Moura, C.S.Sp. †
José Lopes Leite de Faria † (Priest: 19 Dec 1896 to 5 Oct 1915)
Lorenzo Vicente de Lourinhan † (Archbishop: 19 Dec 1373 to 1384)
João Martins de Soalhães † (Archbishop: 8 Oct 1313 to 1 May 1325)
José Augusto Martins Fernandes Pedreira † (Priest: 12 Jul 1959 to 28 Dec 1982)
Antonio Bento Martins Júnior † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 14 Jul 1932; Archbishop: 28 Sep 1932 to 19 Aug 1963)
Carlos Francisco Martins Pinheiro † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Feb 1985 to 10 Nov 2000)
Jerónimo José de Mata, C.M. †
Sebastião de Matos de Noronha † (Archbishop: 9 Jun 1636 to 28 Jul 1641)
Antônio Joaquim de Medeiros †
João de Melo † (Archbishop: 5 Sep 1481 to 1482)
Paio Mendes † (Archbishop: 1115 to 1137)
Alexeu de Jesu de Meneses, O.S.A. † (Archbishop: 19 Mar 1612 to 3 May 1617)
José de Menezes † (Archbishop: 10 Mar 1692 to 16 Feb 1696)
St. Geraldo de Moissac, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 3 Jul 1095; Archbishop: 1099 to 5 Dec 1108)
Inácio do Nascimento Morais Cardoso †
Antônio de São José Moura Marinho, O.E.S.A. †
Rodrigo de Moura Telles † (Archbishop: 10 Mar 1704 to 4 Sep 1728)
Antonio Neto dos Santos, O.S.A. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Nov 1616 to 1641)
José de Oliveira Calado † (Auxiliary Bishop: 15 May 1752 to 4 Dec 1777)
José Joaquim (José Antonio) de Oliveira Carvalho (da Imaculada Conceição Amarante), O.F.M. Obs. †
João Peculiar † (Archbishop: Oct 1138 to 3 Dec 1175)
Gonçalo Pereira † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 24 Jul 1323; Archbishop: 27 Feb 1326 to 1348)
António Pereira da Silva †
João Evangelista Pereira da Silva, T.O.R. †
Joaquim Pereira Ferraz, O.S.B. †
Martinho Perez de Charneca † (Archbishop: 12 Jun 1398 to 25 Mar 1416)
Luís Pires † (Archbishop: 8 Feb 1468 to Mar 1480)
Martinho Pires † (Archbishop: 1189 to 1209)
Martinho Pires de Oliveira † (Archbishop: 30 Jul 1295 to 25 Mar 1313)
Eduardo de Portugal † (Archbishop: 6 Feb 1542 to 11 Nov 1543)
Henrique de Portugal † (Archbishop: 30 Apr 1533 to 24 Sep 1540)
Jorge de Quemado (Queimada), O.S.A. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Feb 1599 to 29 May 1618)
António Ribeiro † (Priest: 5 Jul 1953; Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Jul 1967 to 10 May 1971)
Francisco José Ribeiro Vieira e Brito † (Priest: 7 Jun 1873 to 5 Mar 1892)
Gomez de Rocha, O.S.B. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Jul 1488)
Vasco Rodrigues (de Meneses Fernandes) † (Archbishop: 11 Aug 1371 to 18 Nov 1372)
Manoel Santos † (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Jan 1540)
Inácio de São Caetano, O.C.D. †
Francisco de São Luiz (Manoel Justiniano) Saraiva, O.S.B. †
Estêvão Soares da Silva † (Archbishop: 1212 to 27 Aug 1228)
João de Sousa † (Archbishop: 24 Sep 1696 to 1 Oct 1703)
Luís de Sousa † (Archbishop: 8 Feb 1677 to 29 Apr 1690)
Manuel de Sousa † (Archbishop: 22 Mar 1545 to 18 Jul 1549)
Diego de Souza † (Archbishop: 11 Jul 1505 to 8 Jun 1532)
António José de Souza Barroso †
Francisco José de Souza Lima † (Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Jan 1808 to 15 Apr 1811)
Antonio da Trindade de Vasconcellos Pereira de Melo †
João José Vaz Pereira † (Priest: 20 Dec 1794; Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Jun 1821 to 4 May 1830)
António Luís da Veiga Cabral e Câmara †
Manuel Vieira de Matos † (Archbishop: 1 Oct 1914 to 28 Sep 1932)
Francisco , O.S.B. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Jul 1498)
Garcia , O.S.B. † (Archbishop: 22 May 1482 to 27 Jul 1485)
Godinho † (Archbishop: Dec 1175 to 31 Jul 1188)
Telo , O.F.M. † (Archbishop: 6 Apr 1278 to 23 Nov 1292)

Source(s)

Diocese of Braga
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 93, to Page 95
Archdiocese of Braga
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 1, Page 144
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 2, Page 110
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 3, Page 138, and Page 139
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 4, Page 120
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 5, Page 126
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 6, Page 129

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Archdiocese of Braga

Archidioecesis Bracarensis