The Ecclesiastical Administration of Mozambique, 17th century

Abstract

This article deals with the creation and functioning of ecclesiastical administrations in the Portuguese overseas territories, more specifically in Mozambique. It seeks to present the general context of the creation of this new type of ecclesiastical-administrative structure within the Portuguese empire, in addition to explaining its more general characteristics. Then, it seeks to describe and analyze the functioning of the ecclesiastical administration of Mozambique in the 17th century, without forgetting to pay attention to the specific historical contexts of that part of the Portuguese empire. Finally, it proposes a reflection on the presence and effectiveness of those ecclesiastical structures with regard to the process of conversion and construction of a new Christianity in the overseas space. The objective is to evaluate, depending on the different sociocultural contexts, the importance of these ecclesiastical administrations in the construction of overseas Christianity, showing that despite their presence in Mozambique in the 17th century, their impact on the native populations was limited.