Portuguese Stamp Catalogues

Overview Portugal Stamp Catalogues

• Portugal Stamp Catalogues (books)
• Portugal Stamp Auctions/Marketplaces
• Portugal Online Stamp Catalogues
• CTT Stamp Releases

Portugal Stamp Catalogues (books)

Portugal

Stanley Gibbons 2023 Stamps Of The World – Set Of 6 Catalogues

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Stanley Gibbons Portugal & Colonies Stamp – 1st edition

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Yvert & Tellier – The world stamp catalog of the year 2019

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Yvert&Tellier Catalog for quotation of European Stamps Volume 4 – 2020 – from Poland to Russia

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2023 Scott Catalogue VOLUME 5 (Countries N-Sam)

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Unificato Europe 2019/2020 – Volume 5

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Mundifil Catalog of Postal Stamps and Pre-Adhesive Marks from Portugal, Azores and Madeira for 2022

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Michel Iberian Peninsula 2022

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Michel

AFA – Western Europe 2022 – Vol. I+II+III – Stamp Catalogues

Michel Europaïsche Kolonien und Gebiete

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Michel

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Stanley Gibbons Western Europe Simplified Stamp Catalogue – 2nd Edition

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Portugal Stamp Auctions/Marketplaces

Catawiki

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Portugal Online Stamp Catalogues

Michel (German/English) – Most complete online stamp catalogue with actual prices (subscription required)

Colnect (all language) – Colnect (premium) has auto-matching, best matches and an extensive free stamp catalogs

StampsPortugal (Portuguese/English) – Stamps till 2012, with Afinsa and Scott catalogue numbers

CTT Stamp Releases

Portugal

• Portugal – Archbishops of BragaOctober 16, 2022Editorial Project Archbishops of Braga The philatelic issue “Archbishops of Braga” was launched in 2017. Four groups of stamps have been presented, in annual cycles, depicting the historical Prelates of the Church of Braga. This year the fifth and final group will be launched — completing the 18 stamps planned for the “Archbishops of Braga” set — featuring some of the most significant Prelatures of this noteworthy cohort of Archbishops and Lords of the Archdiocese of Braga. This initiative by the Archdiocesan Commission for Property and Heritage — of the Archdiocese of Braga — part of the Institute of History and Christian Arts (IHAC), was submitted, as a concept and selection, to CTT – Correios de Portugal, which immediately supported and agreed to this philatelic project. One of the purposes of the mentioned Commission is to organise or follow events and cultural activities with the aim of promoting and enhancing the value of the Cultural Assets of the Church. This sensitivity and recognition start with the promoters or interlocutors — as is the case with the Archbishops of Braga — who idealised or advocated for these assets, often supporting their creation, as well as safeguarding or enhancing everything that Faith has spread and the Gospel has built in terms of Ecclesiastical heritage. The new group of stamps, like the earlier issues, shows Braga Prelates who reflect the history of the Church and the city of Braga; the history of Portugal and the territory it conquered; its expansive and historical evangelisation. It therefore features Gonçalo Pereira, the Liberal, (1326–1348) — medieval, a zealous defender of the Assets of the Church who gave Braga its first “monumental feature” and was present at the famous Battle of Río Salado with a cross on his flag; Friar Agostinho de Jesus (1588–1609) — modern, active and credited reformer who promoted the “new consecration of the Cathedral” and commissioned the famous Map of Braga of 1594 [noua BRACARAE AVGVSTE descriptio (sic)] to Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg; António Bento Martins Júnior (1932–1963) — contemporary, a pious Eucharist and Marian, who devoted himself to the “Christianisation of religious festivals”, “consecrated the High Altar of Braga Cathedral” and, in social terms, encouraged institutions of a charitable nature to respond to those most in need. In the philatelic souvenir sheet, we reveal a new aerial view of the Main Cathedral, which gives it a new perspective within its urban surroundings — a new breadth that confirms its context with the Sacro-Montes or the Sacred Hills of Braga on the horizon — in an interactive relationship with the so-called “Tourist Triangle” of Braga — renamed by us as the Sacred-Tourist Triangle of Braga. The Guide to Braga — Art and Tourism from 1959 (page 107), by Braga City Council, describes this tourist polygon as the angular formation between the sanctuaries that crown Espinho Hill, Sameiro Hill and Falperra’s Hill. It identifies the hill of Bom Jesus do Monte, the hill of Imaculada Conceição do Sameiro and the hill of Santa Maria Madalena do Monte as having temples and adjacent stairways directed towards the city. These temples punctuate the hills surrounding Braga, with the Cathedral as a pole — a centre for spreading the Faith and revitalising of these sacred spaces — which, thanks to the action of humankind and the contribution of the Archbishops, have developed into renowned sanctuaries: the first and the second in the category of Basilicas; the first and the third, properties classified as National Monuments; with the first featuring as the only one in the north of the country recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. On the brochure cover we depict the expressive view from the Cathedra, the visual perspective of the Archbishop over his Seat — manifested by the three naves and the entrance, crowned by the opulent baroque organs — the view, therefore, of the Shepherd over his flock: an ecclesiastical Community that guides, teaches, and educates on the wisdom of the Gospels. Archbishop Gonçalo Pereira (1326–1348) A prominent figure in the Church and in the politics of his day. Archbishop Gonçalo Pereira focused particularly on the preservation of the temporal and jurisdictional aspects of the Bishopric. He acted against powerful beneficiaries, oppressive powers, and plunder by grandees. He played a role in national and peninsular military conflicts. In 1336, he defeated a host of Galicians (who had entered the Minho region). Even more significant was his participation in the Battle of Río Salado, in 1340 (in support of Alfonso XI of Castile and where the advance of peninsular Islam was halted). In thanks to the Holy Cross (the pennant under which he protected himself), he erected a votive chapel, around 1341–42, on the hill overlooking Braga which, since then, has never ceased to be a centre of devotion and pilgrimage. It became one of the first Calvary Hills in Europe and, over time, developed into a magnificent Sanctuary, now a World Heritage Site — Bom Jesus do Monte. Braga owes to Archbishop Gonçalo Pereira its first monumental feature, which, in terms of materials and architecture, shows significant aspects of the national palatial Gothic and religious style. He would transform Braga into almost a second court, such was the grandeur of the works made “in such a way that Braga did not seem so much like a city of the Prelate, but like the Court and Palace of a great King”. Because of his liberality in his pastoral and social activities, he became known as the Liberal — essentially, a great Prelate: “a Diplomat, a Warrior, a Reformer”. Archbishop Friar Agostinho de Jesus (1588–1609) Born in Lisbon, in 1537, with the name Pedro de Castro, took his vows in the Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine, changing his name to Agostinho de Jesus. Provincial of the Order, elected definitor, he went to Rome, to the General Chapter, and was charged with reforming the respective constitutions. From there, the Pope sent him to Germany to reform its monasteries, getting everyone’s support. On his return to Portugal, named perpetual vicar general of this Province, he was appointed Archbishop of Braga by King Philip II, confirmed by Pope Sixtus V in 1588. He was one of the great Archbishops whose main achievements included: the creation of the General Register; two diocesan synods; another consecration of the Cathedral; transfer of the Benedictine sisters from Vitorino das Donas to Campo da Vinha (Braga) and translation of the mortal remains of Saint Martin of Braga to the Cathedral; and the founding of Pópulo Monastery, where his mortal remains were laid to rest. He died in 1609. In nearly 20 years of administration, he sent four ad limina reports, the highest number from when the practice started until 1910. Archbishop António Bento Martins Júnior (1932–1963) Born in the parish of São Miguel de Arcos, in the municipality and archpriestate of Vila do Conde, on 5 May 1881, he attended the Seminaries of Braga. He later studied in Rome, at the Pontifical Gregorian University, gaining a degree in Theology and a Doctorate in Canon Law. Returning to Braga, he became a teacher at the Seminary and, when the Diocese of Bragança and Miranda became vacant, he took on the role of Bishop in 1928. In 1932, he was appointed Archbishop of Braga. He reformulated the Confraternities and Brotherhoods, and attempted to Christianise religious festivals. In the social field, he concerned himself with the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, the St. Cajetan College of Orphans, the Santas Casas da Misericórdia charitable institutions, the Programme for the Protection of Girls, the Cozinhas Económicas , the St. Joseph Workshops, the District Refuge and the “Bread for the Poor” scheme. In his time, he oversaw the consecration of the High Altar of Braga Cathedral (in 1934) and the inauguration of the St. Peter and St. Paul Conciliar Seminary. He was very interested in clergy, parishes, and apostolic movements. A man of Eucharistic and Marian piety, a devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the saints (chiefly those of Braga), he died, to general consternation, on 19 August 1963. [...]

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• Portugal – The Importance of VaccinationOctober 3, 2022The most recent international public health emergencies reminded the World that, beyond individual protection, through herd immunity, most vaccines have the power to stop the transmission of pathogens in the community when vaccination coverage rates reach certain thresholds. That benefit is clearly an advantage of organized vaccination, through national programs or mass vaccination campaigns. It is one of Public Health’s major successes. Vaccination has already eliminated or controlled diseases such as smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles, among others, throughout the world. According to the World Health Organization, between 2000 and 2018, measles vaccination prevented around 23 million deaths worldwide. Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect children and adults from severe diseases and their complications, avoiding human suffering and reducing the burden on healthcare systems. When it comes to Vaccination, Portugal is an example of good practice at international level, thanks to the National Vaccination Program (PNV), implemented in 1965 and based, from the beginning, on the following principles: to be equally and universally applied to all people living in Portugal; free of charge for the user; managed at national level, but decentralised and accessible throughout the local primary healthcare network of the National Health Service. Furthermore, the PNV is a dynamic programme, constantly being updated, considering the epidemiological situation and in the light of evolving scientific knowledge. The success of the NVP in Portugal is due to its principles, to the solid scientific support behind the introduction of new vaccines in the Programme, to the strong technical and normative component that supports its implementation, to the fact that it is deeply rooted in the network of public health units and primary health care services, to the trust that professionals and citizens place on it, and the visible and important impact on individual and public health. The future demands major investment in Vaccination information, provided by credible sources and disseminated through different ways and means, in order to be accessible to the entire population. Investment in informing the public and professionals, enabling them to make increasingly informed decisions and to share credible information on vaccines and vaccination, is the basis for broadening partnerships with different sectors of society, promoting a network of vaccination ambassadors with the aim of reaching more and more target audiences, and making more efficient the promotion of vaccination as a right, a responsibility and an act of citizenship. Vaccination is the Past, the Present and the Future of Public Health. [...]

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• Portugal – ASF – 40 YearsOctober 3, 2022In 2022, the Portuguese insurance and pension funds supervisory´authority, Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (ASF), celebrates its 40th anniversary, a milestone event commemorating both the Institution and the introduction to Portugal of a modern vision of supervision, in harmony with the evolution of supervised activity and operators. This journey of almost four decades began with the creation of the Portuguese insurance institute, Instituto de Seguros de Portugal (ISP), founded in 1982 with the main aim of ensuring the coordination and inspection of insurance and reinsurance activities and their corresponding mediation and which, from 1985 on, also included in its sphere of activity the monitoring and inspection of pension funds instituted by public deed and managed by insurance companies authorised to conduct the business of Life insurance. In 2015, Decree Law no.1/2015, of 6 January, adapted the statutes of the Instituto de Seguros de Portugal to the framework law of the regulatory bodies and changed the name of this supervisory authority to Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões. To mark this auspicious date, the ASF has organised a programme of activities throughout 2022, including a varied range of initiatives commemorating its journey and, at the same time, evoking the history of insurance in Portugal, as well as focusing on economic and societal debate, where inclusion and sustainability are strongly present. A key and eloquently meaningful initiative was planned as part of the celebrations: the creation and issue by the CTT – Correios de Portugal of a commemorative postage stamp to mark 40 years of the ASF’s existence. This issue will be introduced into postal circulation and its cancellation will take place at ASF’s Annual Conference, an event that will be the culmination of the Authority’s celebrations, taking place on 17 November 2022, when the Institution’s 40th anniversary will be officially commemorated. On its 40th anniversary, the ASF is reaffirming its commitment to the future, continuing independently and responsibly to ensure a well-functioning insurance and pension funds market in Portugal, promoting the sound and prudent management of the institutions under its supervision, as well as requiring the maintenance of the highest standards of conduct by operators, in order to guarantee the protection of policyholders, insured persons, participants and beneficiaries, as well as financial stability. [...]

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• Portugal – SOLIDARITY WITH THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLESeptember 21, 2022Correios de Portugal’s policy of showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people at this extremely difficult time for their country, it is with great pleasure that we join together once more in helping and supporting the recovery of Ukrainian society. The postage stamp was created for a simple purpose: to serve as proof of payment for a message transmission service. It then evolved into what it is now: an ambassador for important causes and a celebration of the most important achievements in the issuing countries. The stamp is also, and always has been, a herald of peace. It has an ecumenical, solidarity-based, educational dimension, uniting peoples and nations. It simplifies communication, carrying and delivering messages of all kinds to every corner on Earth. As such, CTT Correios de Portugal has decided to use the postage stamp to express our utmost solidarity with the Ukrainian people at this difficult time, issuing this stamp which has been designed by our prestigious designer Professor João Machado. In addition to this stamp, and as a prestigious symbolic expression of the connection between Ukraine and this CTT initiative, we present a text by His Excellency the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a contribution that greatly honours us and adds even greater value to the issue. CTT will donate all net proceeds from these stamps to actions that contribute towards alleviating the plight of the Ukrainian people. These actions will be defined in detail in close collaboration with the Embassy of Ukraine in Portugal. [...]

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• Portugal – The Lord of the RingsSeptember 6, 2022CTT Correios de Portugal have developed in partnership with Peter Jackson’s epic big screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy − filmed back-to-back and released over three consecutive years − a series of stamps featuring some of the most important characters from these films. It is an issue with four stamps with a face value of €0,57, €0,95, €1,00 and €1,05, and a philatelic souvenir sheet with a face value of 4 euros. The print run is 75,000 copies for each stamp and 25,000 souvenir sheets. This issue will release this year 2022. [...]

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• Portugal – The First Portuguese Constitution of 1822: 200 YearsAugust 30, 2022The First Portuguese Constitution of 1822: 200 years The early 19th century in Portugal was characterised by the spread of liberal ideology, which was seen as a solution for regenerating the country. Political and economic crises created the conditions for the Liberal Revolution of 1820 and, consequently, the convening of the Constituent Cortes, which sat to approve Portugal’s first constitution. The Constituent Cortes of 1821-1822, inspired by the principles of the French Revolution, the American Constitution and especially the Spanish Constitution of Cádiz of 1812, made this the most remarkable of monarchical constitutions, enshrining the principles associated with the liberal ideals of the time: national sovereignty, parliamentary representation, separation of powers, legal equality and respect for personal rights. The first members of Parliament approved the Constitution, but that was not the sole function of the Cortes, which also exercised ordinary political and legislative powers, thereby embodying the establishment of the liberal order. It was against this background that the ground-breaking Press Law was passed, as well as the abolition of the Inquisition and amnesty for those imprisoned for political opinions. A minimum of one hundred MPs, with “one MP for every thirty thousand souls”, were elected through indirect suffrage in multiple election phases that involved parishes, districts and provinces. Thus was formed the first Portuguese Parliament – the General and Extraordinary Cortes of the Portuguese Nation –, which met for the first time in a preparatory session on 24 January 1821 in the Book Room at the Necessidades Convent, where the texts were vetted and the status and powers of each of the MPs legalised. The first session of the Cortes, held on 26 January, continued the work of legitimising the elected MPs and, in the hundreds of sessions that followed, work focused on analysing, discussing and approving Portugal’s first constitution, which culminated in the Bases of the Constitution being signed on 9 March 1821, these provisionally entering into force until the definitive constitutional text was finalised. The two copies of the Constitution were signed by the MPs at the sitting of the Cortes on 23 September 1822, and these same MPs took the oath to the constitutional text at the sitting of 30 September 1822. A few days later, on 1 October 1822, King João VI approved the Constitution and swore allegiance to it. The liberal ideals fostered by the revolution and set out in the Constitution of 1822 transformed the structure of the state and the way society was organised. Absolutist monarchic principles gave way to the principle of the sovereign nation and subjects became citizens, thus enjoying the principles of citizenship and freedom for the first time. It is therefore imperative, 200 years on, to remember the extraordinary work of these first MPs with a sense of emotion and responsibility, as today’s parliament is imbued with these values, upholding democratic principles! Technical Data Issue: 2022 / 09 / 23 Stamps:  0,57 – 75 000  2,75 – 75 000 Design: B2 Design Credits Stamps: 0,57 Artigo 1.º da Constituição portuguesa de 1822, Título I «Dos direitos e deveres individuais dos Portugueses». Photo: Miguel Saavedra/Arquivo Fotográfico da Assembleia da República, PT-AHF/ AF/R1733.  2,75 Artigo 2.º da Constituição portuguesa de 1822, Título I «Dos direitos e deveres individuais dos Portugueses». Foto/photo: Miguel Saavedra/Arquivo Fotográfico da Assembleia da República, PT-AHF/ AF/R1733. Fundo / background Primeira página da Constituição portuguesa de 1822. Photo: Miguel Saavedra/Arquivo Fotográfico da Assembleia da República, PT-AHF/AF/R1733. Alegoria à Constituição de 1822, óleo sobre tela, Domingos Sequeira, 1821. Coleção/collection: Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. Photo: Luísa Oliveira/DGPC/ADF. Paper – FSC 110 g/m2 Size Stamps: 80 x 30,6 mm Perforation: 12 1/4 x 12 and Cross of Christ Printing – o.set Printer – bpost Philately & Stamps Printing Sheets – with 20 copies [...]

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• Portugal – 20 Years of the EuroAugust 28, 202220 years of use of the euro Launched on 1 January 1999, the euro entered into circulation two years later, replacing the national notes and coins of 12 EU member states. The introduction of the euro was a significant milestone in the integration of the European economy. The euro simplified people’s day-to-day lives. It facilitated the free circulation of people, goods and services. It strengthened trade and economic integration. The euro is one of the key elements in economic convergence among member states. The euro is the most tangible and identifiable aspect of citizen participation in the construction of the European Union. The euro is, in itself, an element of unity. It is the currency of 19 member states, increasing to 20 from 1 January 2023, when we will be joined by Croatia. It is the currency of more than 340 million people and a symbol of European solidarity. The euro is an element of stability. By ensuring price stability and recognising the importance of financial stability, it creates conditions for balanced and inclusive economic growth. Portugal benefited from entering what was then the EEC, and the natural progression of this European integration was to adopt the euro from the outset. Over these last 20 years, the Portuguese economy has overcome financial crisis, the sovereign debt crisis and the pandemic crisis. In a Europe with an institutional model still under construction and, as such, imperfect, it was no mean feat to survive each of these crises. However, as the recent pandemic has proven, today, we have a more agile Europe with the ability to respond to such a colossal challenge. In the period after the sovereign debt crisis, the efforts made to reduce the risk to individuals, companies and the state were unparalleled. The budgetary and financial results in the country attest to this. Portugal’s economy is now more open, more integrated, more stable and more resilient. The coordination of economic policies during the pandemic crisis increased our awareness of just how much we benefit from being in the euro, and of what still needs to be done. The euro is our currency. Technical Data Issue: 2022 / 09 / 15 Stamps: € 0,57 – 75 000 € 0,95 – 75 000 Souvenir sheet with 1 stamp: G4,00 – 25 000 Design: Unidesign / Hélder Soares Credits Stamps: Anverso e reverso da moeda de 1 euro, emitida em 2002; face nacional desenhada por Vítor Santos. Anverso e reverso da moeda de 5 euros comemorativa dos 20 anos de circulação do Euro (2022); projeto original de José Aurélio. Fundo/background: Cunhos do anverso e reverso das moedas representadas. Photos: Casa da Moeda / Nuno Silva. Souvenir sheet: Cunho do reverso da moeda comemorativa «20 Anos de Euro» (2022), segundo projeto original de José Aurélio. Photo: Casa da Moeda / Nuno Silva. Brochure cover: Cunhos do anverso e reverso das moedas representadas. Photo: Casa da Moeda / Nuno Silva. Paper: FSC 110g/m2 Size: Stamps: 30,6 x 40 mm Souvenir sheet: 125 x 95 mm Perforation: 12 x 12 ¼ and Cross of Christ Printing: offset Printer: Cartor Sheets: tenant with 5 copies of each value [...]

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• Portugal – End of the First Circumnavigation Voyage 1519-1522: 500 YearsAugust 24, 2022The stamp issue “End of the First Circumnavigation Voyage 1519-1522: 500 Years” rounds off the series with which CTT Correios de Portugal marked the 5th centenary of the great voyage, not just as a way of highlighting the feat, but also in order to participate, at institutional level, with the official programme of commemorations. Issued in four instalments, linked to the same number of significant moments in the expedition, CTT Correios de Portugal presented a stamp collection of exceptional quality, in terms of both its shape and the content included, with which the Task Group for the Celebrations of the 5th centenary of the First Circumnavigation Voyage commanded by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan | 2019-2022 has been associated since the outset. This final issue marks the end of the expedition and, as well as summarising the landmark moments that served as inspiration for the previous issues – with content alternating between text and images to describe these occasions –, it is presented in a circular format, which, although unusual for this type of support, alludes brilliantly and imaginatively to one of the main scientific achievements of the expedition – proving that the planet is spherical. Contemporary understanding of all the logistics involved, the level of confidence in the existing scientific and technological knowledge and the consequences of the feat itself justify the conviction that the expedition planned and led by Ferdinand Magellan – which, after being completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano, became the first circumnavigation of the Earth – was, in fact, the greatest, most fascinating nautical exploit in the history of humankind. It is a perfect symbol of all the exploratory voyages that broadened our vision and understanding of the world during the 15th and 16th centuries. In discovering the strait that bears his name, the point of entry to the great sea he called the Pacific, Ferdinand Magellan gave more sea to the sea and more world to the world. He presented humankind with an oceanic globe, allowing different peoples and cultures to come together, with different ways of looking at life, and giving us a hitherto unknown “Ocean Planet”. Five centuries later, Ferdinand Magellan’s legacy is a true work of heritage shared by all humankind and a symbolic and intellectual capital, the universality of which, still echoing today, is demonstrated by the fact that his name appears in diverse locations around the globe, in two galaxies close to the Milky Way, a species of penguin, and a space probe sent to orbit Venus, to name but a few. Revisiting this historic milestone provides, more than anything, an opportunity to deepen, spread and enhance the universal scientific-cultural dimension of the first circumnavigation voyage, as a work of common heritage of humanity. On this journey, we would like to thank and praise the invaluable contribution, partnership and dedication of CTT Correios de Portugal, with emphasis on the set of stamps created, which, as well as enriching the artistic heritage relating to the first circumnavigation voyage, also constitutes an excellent contribution to philately and is of unmistakeable patrimonial value in the context of the commemorations. Fernão de Magalhães Juan Sebastián Elcano Technical Data Issue 2022 / 09 / 08 Stamps 0,57 – 75 000   1,00 – 75 000 Souvenir sheet with 1 stamp. 4,00 – 25 000 Design Folk Design Papel FSC 110 g/m2 SizeStamps: 40 x 30,6 mmSouvenir sheet: Ø 130 mm Perforation. 12 1/4 x 12 and Cross of Christ Printing o¯set Printer Cartor Sheets with 50 copies [...]

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• Portugal – 200 Years of Brazilian IndependenceAugust 23, 2022On 7 September 1822, on the banks of the river Ipiranga, near São Paulo, the famous cry rang out: “Independence or Death”. This was the symbolic announcement of the decisive step in the construction of Brazil as an independent nation. Under the aegis of the still reigning House of Bragança, Pedro, until then Prince Regent, assumed the political leadership that had been implicitly bestowed on him by the Brazilian nation, which, in January that year, had heard and echoed his no-less famous cry of “I will stay.” By declaring his intention to stay, thus opposing the appeal of the Constituent Courts gathered in Lisbon, Pedro adopted Brazil as his home, ready for his natural ascent to leadership of a new empire separated from its motherland. His proclamation as emperor took place soon after, on 12 October 1822. As a tutelary figure, he was fundamental in maintaining the political unity of a vast territory, as well as in shaping the social and political institutions of the Brazilian state under construction. Pedro I of Brazil returned to Portugal in 1831 as Pedro IV to support the liberal cause, which was close to his heart, at a time when the turmoil inherent in the return to an absolute monarchy was far greater than the slight disturbance felt in Brazilian political life as it searched for its horizons. Many were involved in the construction of this irreversible trajectory set in motion in that giddying year of 1822. Among the many protagonists who, in the Brazilian provinces, had expressed their disgust at the maintenance of colonial administration and powers, the firm and calm leadership of José Bonifácio de Andrade e Silva is worth highlighting. He was responsible for writing programmatic documents that were decisive in affirming the potentials of the emerging country, as well as being influential in persuading Pedro to join the Brazilian cause. In Portugal, on the eve of 7 September, the Courts were giving the finishing touches to the constitution, which still devoted a specific section to the organisation of the executive power of Brazil. At the same time, the Courts discussed provisions relating to trade relationships between Portugal and Brazil as parts of the same empire, with strong opinions expressed on the advantages of (or the offence caused by) resuming privileges protecting the exclusivity of the former colonial market. However, this possibility was no more than a mirage. Indeed, while it is true that Brazilian political independence stemmed from converging desires for emancipation and freedom from the former dominant power, there is no doubt that the legitimisation of a much-wanted process of political separation was in large part dictated by the growing economic autonomy that the Brazilian territory achieved from 1808, when the court of the future João VI settled in Rio de Janeiro as a result of the Napoleonic wars. The opening up of Brazilian ports to the powerful British merchant navy represented the end of an era of colonial exclusivity that made Brazil able to achieve its economic freedom, even if in order to do so it had to position itself under the influence of other international strategic interests. But the die had been cast. The union between Portugal and Brazil was weakened at its strongest link. Discontent in the kingdom stirred sentiments that came to embody the regenerative liberal movement, consubstantiated in the revolution of 1820. Two years were all it took for Brazil’s inevitable independence to be confirmed once and for all. Release date: 7 September 2022 [...]

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• Portugal – World Youth Day Lisbon 2023July 16, 2022World Youth Day is a meeting of young people from all over the world with the Pope in a festive, religious and cultural atmosphere. With young people as its protagonists, World Youth Day (WYD) also seeks to promote peace, unity and fraternity between peoples and nations from all over the world. It is simultaneously a pilgrimage, a festival of youth, an expression of the universal Church and a powerful moment of evangelization for the world of youth. As a Catholic event, WYD Lisbon 2023 is open to all young people. It was instituted in 1985 by Pope John Paul II and, since its beginning, it has mobilised millions of young people of almost every nationality in the world. World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 is a celebration of the world that will take place, for the first time, in Lisbon, from 1 to 6 of August 2023. Some of the young people will arrive during the week before and they will be spread throughout the Portuguese dioceses. For a week, young people from all over the world will be welcomed in public infrastructures and parish facilities or in family homes. In addition to moments of prayer and sharing, the registered young people take part in various cultural, musical and sports initiatives in different locations in Lisbon. The highlights of WYD Lisbon 2023 are the celebrations with the presence of the Pope, namely the Way of the Cross, the vigil and, on the last day, the sending-off Mass. The motto chosen by Pope Francis for the XXXV World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 is Marian. “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39) serves as the inspiration for the WYD hymn “There is haste in the air” and for the logo that appears on this special CTT collection, which celebrates this event, which is of particular importance for the city of Lisbon and for Portugal. WYD Lisbon 2023 is a unique opportunity for dialogue and cooperation between the Church and Civil Society and among all nations, for the construction of a more just and fraternal society, where everyone has a place. We are all called to live World Youth Day Lisbon 2023, as pilgrims, as a people and as community! [...]

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