The weight of history
By its history, Portugal has a very strong religious identity. The struggle between political or cultural powers and a meaningful part of the Roman Catholic clergy is thus an important part of Portuguese status of religions.
The very quick adoption of decrees against the Catholic church after the revolution of 1910 underlines this fact: on October 8, 1910, the Jesuits were expelled, and a lay formulation for official correspondence was adopted, abolishing the expression "of Christ" in the civil indication of the year. On the 10th of the same month, the abolition of a religious oath was decreed in all civil acts. On the 12th of the month in question almost all the religious holidays were abolished, being transformed into common working days. On the 3rd of November, a law by decree was issued concerning divorce. On the 25th of December another law by decree was issued concerning marriage and child protection. Finally, on April 20, 1911, a law by decree came to determine the separation of Church and State.
José Carlos Calazans Luís Seabra Melancia Paulo Jorge Soares Mendes Pinto
28 September 2012