Bahá'í Faith in Portugal
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Portugal comes after the first mention of Portugal in Bahá'í literature
when `Abdu'l-Bahá
mentioned it as a place to take the religion to in 1916. The first Bahá'í visitor to Portugal was in 1926. Its first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in Lisbon
in 1946. In 1962 the Portuguese Bahá'ís elected their first National Spiritual Assembly. In 1963 there were nine assemblies. According to recent counts there are close to some 2000 members of the Bahá'í Faith
in 2005 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
).
, the son of the founder of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United States
in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan
. The seventh of the tablets was the first to mention several countries in Europe
including beyond where `Abdu'l-Bahá had visited in 1911-12. Written on April 11, 1916, it was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919 — after the end of World War I
and the Spanish flu
. The seventh tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West
magazine on December 12, 1919.
was an early traveler of the religion to visit Portugal in between 1923 and 1933. It is known that two Bahá'ís were interviewed by the newspapers Diario de Noticias and Diario de Lisboa and gave other talks on the religion in 1926.
In 1946 the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
formed the Bahá'í European Teaching Committee to teach the religion in Europe. This endeavour oversaw the arrival of a number of Bahá'í pioneers
. Its first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1946 in Lisbon. Charlotte Stirratt was a pioneer who had moved to Lisbon, by November 1948.
.
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi
, head of the religion after the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá
, planned an international teaching plan termed the Ten Year Crusade
. During the plan pioneers
moved from Portugal colonies including Angola
and East Timor
from 1954.
In 1957 Portugal and Spain formed a regional National Spiritual Assembly. The 1957 convention was witnessed by Charles Wolcott
as a representative of Shoghi Effendi. In 1962 each formed their own independent National Spiritual Assembly. In 1963 the delegates to the national convention was set at 19. In 1963, the members of the national assemblies of the world were the delegates to elect the Universal House of Justice
for the first time - the members of the assembly of Portugal that participated were Angelo da Silva Carneiro, Mr. Mansour Masrour, Sara Tiffon Ramonet, Hilda Xavier Rodrigues, Carlos Salomao, Carl Scherer, Juliao Serrano, Celestino M. Silva and Richard Walters.
In 1963 the community of Bahá'ís was organized into Assemblies, groups between 1 and 9 and isolated Bahá'is as follows:
The Portuguese Bahá'í Summer Schools are a series of annual events held in Portugal, as part of the "Summer School" concept of Bahá'í school
. The Portuguese Bahá'í Summer Schools modestly emerged in the 60's, and have been growing in popularity and scope since. In 2009, the event hosted over 200 participants from all 5 continents, and counted with Ali Nakhjavani
and Violette Nakhjavani, as well as Glenford Mitchell, as main speakers.
Despite this growth The government of Portugal actively opposed the development of the religion until liberalized following the Carnation Revolution
of 1974 and the writing of the Portuguese Constitution of 1976.
In 1987 the Portuguese community had 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies - more per capita than neighbouring Spain.
in Haifa. Recent counts show close to some 2000 members of the Bahá'í Faith
in 2005 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
). In 2007 the Bahá'ís of Portugal contributed to a religious discussion on society with the theme "The Baha'i faith and equal opportunities". In 2010 Marco Antonio Oliveira, a representative of the Bahá'í community of Portugal, was appointed by the Ministers of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as a member of the Committee Issue of Time for Religions.
Bahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia...
when `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
mentioned it as a place to take the religion to in 1916. The first Bahá'í visitor to Portugal was in 1926. Its first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in 1946. In 1962 the Portuguese Bahá'ís elected their first National Spiritual Assembly. In 1963 there were nine assemblies. According to recent counts there are close to some 2000 members of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
in 2005 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives
Association of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia is a reference work published by Oxford University Press, known for providing membership statistics for major and minor world religions in every country of the world, including historical data and projections of future populations.The first edition, by David B. Barrett,...
).
`Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan
In the history of the Bahá'í Faith the first mentions of Spain start in the twentieth century. `Abdu'l-Bahá`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, the son of the founder of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan
Tablets of the Divine Plan
The Tablets of the Divine Plan collectively refers to 14 letters written between September 1916 and March 1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá to Bahá'ís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were printed in America in Star of the West - Vol. VII, No. 10, September 8,...
. The seventh of the tablets was the first to mention several countries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
including beyond where `Abdu'l-Bahá had visited in 1911-12. Written on April 11, 1916, it was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919 — after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. The seventh tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb was a Persian-American author and Bahá'í who co-founded the New History Society and the Caravan of East and West in New York, and was excommunicated from the Bahá'í Faith in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi.-Early life:...
on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West
Star of the West (Bahá'í magazine)
The Star of the West was a Bahá'í periodical which began publication on March 21, 1910 and ended publication under this title in March of 1935....
magazine on December 12, 1919.
"In all the countries of the world the longing for universal peace is taking possession of the consciousness of men. … A most wonderful state of receptivity is being realized.… Therefore, O ye believers of God! Show ye an effort and after this war spread ye the synopsis of the divine teachings in the British Isles, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Portugal, Rumania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino, Balearic Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Malta, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands, Hebrides and Orkney Islands."
First contact
Martha RootMartha Root
Martha Louise Root was a prominent traveling teacher of the Bahá'í Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a Hand of the Cause posthumously...
was an early traveler of the religion to visit Portugal in between 1923 and 1933. It is known that two Bahá'ís were interviewed by the newspapers Diario de Noticias and Diario de Lisboa and gave other talks on the religion in 1926.
In 1946 the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
formed the Bahá'í European Teaching Committee to teach the religion in Europe. This endeavour oversaw the arrival of a number of Bahá'í pioneers
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
. Its first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1946 in Lisbon. Charlotte Stirratt was a pioneer who had moved to Lisbon, by November 1948.
Growth
In September 1951 the first Iberian conference took place with nine native Bahá'ís and other pioneers who had attended the Fourth European Teaching Conference – recommendations from the consultation included exchanging updated information and further coordination between the communities, and to send contributions for the final work on the Shrine of the BábShrine of the Báb
The Shrine of the Báb is a structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the Báb, founder of Bábism and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been laid to rest; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre...
.
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
, head of the religion after the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, planned an international teaching plan termed the Ten Year Crusade
Ten Year Crusade
The Ten Year World Crusade was launched by Shoghi Effendi in an effort to facilitate an organized expansion of the Bahá'í Faith....
. During the plan pioneers
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
moved from Portugal colonies including Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
from 1954.
In 1957 Portugal and Spain formed a regional National Spiritual Assembly. The 1957 convention was witnessed by Charles Wolcott
Charles Wolcott
Charles Wolcott served as a member of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, between 1963 and 1987.Wolcott was born in Flint, Michigan, USA...
as a representative of Shoghi Effendi. In 1962 each formed their own independent National Spiritual Assembly. In 1963 the delegates to the national convention was set at 19. In 1963, the members of the national assemblies of the world were the delegates to elect the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
for the first time - the members of the assembly of Portugal that participated were Angelo da Silva Carneiro, Mr. Mansour Masrour, Sara Tiffon Ramonet, Hilda Xavier Rodrigues, Carlos Salomao, Carl Scherer, Juliao Serrano, Celestino M. Silva and Richard Walters.
In 1963 the community of Bahá'ís was organized into Assemblies, groups between 1 and 9 and isolated Bahá'is as follows:
| Assemblies | Almada Almada Almada is a municipality in Portugal, covering an area of 70.2 km² located on the southern margin of the Tagus River. Its municipal population in 2008 was 164,844 inhabitants; the urbanized center had a population of 102,357.The seat is the city of Almada.... |
Espinho Espinho, Portugal Espinho is a city in Espinho Municipality in Portugal. It is a reputed beach resort and a zone of legal gambling with a casino - Casino Solverde. Its fair - Feira de Espinho, having been first organised in 1894, is well known in Portugal... |
Faro Faro, Portugal Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region... |
Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... |
Oeiras/Amadora Amadora Amadora is a city and a municipality in Portugal, in the northwest of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The city and municipality population is 175,872 in eleven freguesias . With an area of 23.77 km², it is the most densely populated municipality of Portugal... |
Portimão Portimão Portimão is a Portuguese town located in the District of Faro in the Region of Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão . In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidade and became known merely as Portimão. The town has 41,000 inhabitants and the Portimão... |
Porto Porto Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes... |
Sintra Sintra Sintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to... |
Trafaria Trafaria Trafaria is a Portuguese town and a parish, located in the municipality of Almada. It has a population of 5,946 inhabitants and a total area of 5.83 km².... |
| Groups between 1 and 9 adults | Barreiro | Cascais Cascais Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal... |
Charneca Charneca Charneca or Charneca do Lumiar, is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Lisbon. It was created in 1585. Between 1852 and 1886 this parish was part of the former municipality of Olivais.... |
||||||
| Isolated Bahá'ís | Beja Beja (Portugal) Beja is a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The municipality has a total area of 1,147.1 km² and a total population of 34,970 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 21,658.... |
Costa da Caparica Costa da Caparica Costa da Caparica is a Portuguese city and a parish, located in the municipality of Almada. It has a population of 11,707 inhabitants and a total area of 10.88 km². Costa da Caparica is a city since December 2004.-Beaches:... |
Monte da Caparica | Seixal/Amora Amora (Seixal) Amora is a Portuguese city and freguesia, located in Seixal Municipality, Setúbal District. It had a 2001 population of 50,991 inhabitants and a total area of 27.31 km²; its density was 1,867.1/km².-Nearest parishes:*Corroios, northeast... |
The Portuguese Bahá'í Summer Schools are a series of annual events held in Portugal, as part of the "Summer School" concept of Bahá'í school
Bahá'í school
A Bahá'í school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Bahá'í institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Bahá'í teachings, Bahá'í central figures, or Bahá'í administration...
. The Portuguese Bahá'í Summer Schools modestly emerged in the 60's, and have been growing in popularity and scope since. In 2009, the event hosted over 200 participants from all 5 continents, and counted with Ali Nakhjavani
Ali Nakhjavani
Alí-Yulláh Nakhjavání served as a member of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, between 1963 and 2003....
and Violette Nakhjavani, as well as Glenford Mitchell, as main speakers.
Despite this growth The government of Portugal actively opposed the development of the religion until liberalized following the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
of 1974 and the writing of the Portuguese Constitution of 1976.
In 1987 the Portuguese community had 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies - more per capita than neighbouring Spain.
Modern community
There has been news coverage of the development of the Bahá'í Terraced gardensTerraces (Bahá'í)
The Terraces of the Bahá'í Faith, also known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The architect is Fariborz Sahba from Iran...
in Haifa. Recent counts show close to some 2000 members of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
in 2005 according to the Association of Religion Data Archives
Association of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia is a reference work published by Oxford University Press, known for providing membership statistics for major and minor world religions in every country of the world, including historical data and projections of future populations.The first edition, by David B. Barrett,...
). In 2007 the Bahá'ís of Portugal contributed to a religious discussion on society with the theme "The Baha'i faith and equal opportunities". In 2010 Marco Antonio Oliveira, a representative of the Bahá'í community of Portugal, was appointed by the Ministers of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as a member of the Committee Issue of Time for Religions.
External links
- Official Website of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Portugal Comunidade Bahá'í de Portugal
- Jornal Digital Baha'i da Madeira