Order of Saint Michael of the Wing
Encyclopedia
The Pontifical, Royal and Distinguished Order of Saint Michael of the Wing is the oldest Portuguese
order of knighthood. Unlike many other Portuguese orders, it has not been nationalized as a decoration of the state by the post-1910 Portuguese Republic, and as a result the Duke of Braganza
remains the Grand Master
of the order by birth and is the Judge of the Royal Brotherhood. It is the Grand Council who decides if a Postulant meets the criteria to be admitted into it.
to honor a group of knights of the Order of Saint James
from the Kingdom of León
who assisted him in retaking Santarém
from the Moors
on the Feast of Saint Michael, May 8, 1147. Originally, the order was formed from members of the Military Order of Saint James, thus the reason why it maintains on its Coat of Arms the red sword of this Order accompanied at the blade by two fleurs de lis representing the Cistercian Rule its members observed at the Royal Abbey of Alcobaça where the Order, along with 6 other Military Orders was headquartered until the reestablishment of all Orders as unarmed and non-military Orders of "Honorific Knighthood" in 1834. The Order's first Statutes were approved by Pope Alexander III in 1171 and because of this fact the year 1171 is often referred to in error as the date of the Foundation.
. It was restored by King Dom Miguel I
in 1848 after he lost the Liberal War to his brother King Dom Pedro IV and given new Statutes whilst King Dom Miguel was living in exile in the Vatican. These Statutes restructured it as a Secret Military Order to combat Freemasonry and restore the Absolutist Monarchy in Portugal. Its activity was suspended however a decade later after the Pope prohibited all Secret Organizations Catholic or otherwise.
From that time on and until 1986 it was bestowed as an award by the descendants of King Dom Miguel who claimed the title of Grand Master by birth of the Order until in 1986, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
and pretender
to the Portuguese Throne, informed the Holy See
and the Portuguese Republic that he still considered himself to be the Grand Master
of the order and that although he did not have the power to validly alter the Statutes a King had previously approved, he nonetheless still conferred it as an award and Knighthood of Merit.
In 2001, the Duke promulgated new Statutes submitted to various Bishops to govern a Royal Catholic Brotherhood to compliment the Order as an active social group for Catholic Members, and since that time, the order has been conferred on individuals through the Royal Brotherhood chosen exclusively by the House of Braganza
, with no input from the Portuguese government.
In 2007 however, Dom Duarte Pio of Braganza was accused by Nuno da Camara Pereira of copyright infringement after the latter had unjustly registered a copyright on the name and insignia of the ancient Royal House. His decided anti-monarchical politics gave impetus to this action. The Civil Court of Lisbon in 2009 found in favor of Nuno da Câmara Pereira against Duarte Pio of Braganza after refusing to nullify said copyright of the name and insignia of the order. http://dn.sapo.pt/Inicio/interior.aspx?content_id=1138778
, religion
, or sex
for recognized outstanding contributions to Portuguese Royal Charities or for the spread of devotion to Saint Michael, traditionally venerated as Angel of Portugal and Angel of Peace.
According to Vice-Chancellor and Secretary General Carlos Evaristo, members of the Order who are Roman Catholics are designated as "Professed Brothers", admitted through the Royal Brotherhood of Saint Michael of the Wing, a Catholic Association of the Faithful of which HRH the Duke of Bragança is "Judge", created as an active Roman Catholic social compliment to the Order in 2001. Postulants who are not awarded the Order for outstanding services may join the Royal Brotherhood if they are Catholics in good standing (practicing and not divorced or interdicted) and usually after three years as a Professed Brother in the Royal Brotherhood, may be advanced into the Knightly Order. These grade advancements include:
, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
and Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
which all have Royal Brotherhoods as active social compliments to the honorific decorations and titles bestowed." However, the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC), presided over by Prof. Dr. Pier Felice degli Uberti classifies the Order under "Other Institutions of Chivalric Character - Ancient chivalric institutions, originally founded as orders, subsequently revived by the dynastic successor of the founding authority."
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
order of knighthood. Unlike many other Portuguese orders, it has not been nationalized as a decoration of the state by the post-1910 Portuguese Republic, and as a result the Duke of Braganza
Duke of Braganza
The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
remains the Grand Master
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the order by birth and is the Judge of the Royal Brotherhood. It is the Grand Council who decides if a Postulant meets the criteria to be admitted into it.
Founding
The order was founded in 1147 by king Afonso I of PortugalAfonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
to honor a group of knights of the Order of Saint James
Order of Saint James
Order of Saint James may refer to:* Order of Santiago, also known as the Military Order of Santiago, a catholic chivalric order and monarchical order founded in Castile* Order of St. James of the Sword, a catholic chivalric order, founded in Portugal...
from the Kingdom of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
who assisted him in retaking Santarém
Conquest of Santarém
The Conquest of Santarém took place on 15 March 1147, when the troops of the Kingdom of Portugal under the leadership of Afonso I of Portugal captured the Moorish city of Santarém.-Prelude:...
from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
on the Feast of Saint Michael, May 8, 1147. Originally, the order was formed from members of the Military Order of Saint James, thus the reason why it maintains on its Coat of Arms the red sword of this Order accompanied at the blade by two fleurs de lis representing the Cistercian Rule its members observed at the Royal Abbey of Alcobaça where the Order, along with 6 other Military Orders was headquartered until the reestablishment of all Orders as unarmed and non-military Orders of "Honorific Knighthood" in 1834. The Order's first Statutes were approved by Pope Alexander III in 1171 and because of this fact the year 1171 is often referred to in error as the date of the Foundation.
Modern revival
The order fell into disuse after 1733 and it was not included among the royal orders that were nationalized by the Portuguese Republic after the Revolution of 19105 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
. It was restored by King Dom Miguel I
Miguel of Portugal
Dom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
in 1848 after he lost the Liberal War to his brother King Dom Pedro IV and given new Statutes whilst King Dom Miguel was living in exile in the Vatican. These Statutes restructured it as a Secret Military Order to combat Freemasonry and restore the Absolutist Monarchy in Portugal. Its activity was suspended however a decade later after the Pope prohibited all Secret Organizations Catholic or otherwise.
From that time on and until 1986 it was bestowed as an award by the descendants of King Dom Miguel who claimed the title of Grand Master by birth of the Order until in 1986, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza , is the 24th Duke of Braganza and a pretender to the throne of Portugal.-Birth and education:...
and pretender
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the Portuguese Throne, informed the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and the Portuguese Republic that he still considered himself to be the Grand Master
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the order and that although he did not have the power to validly alter the Statutes a King had previously approved, he nonetheless still conferred it as an award and Knighthood of Merit.
In 2001, the Duke promulgated new Statutes submitted to various Bishops to govern a Royal Catholic Brotherhood to compliment the Order as an active social group for Catholic Members, and since that time, the order has been conferred on individuals through the Royal Brotherhood chosen exclusively by the House of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
, with no input from the Portuguese government.
In 2007 however, Dom Duarte Pio of Braganza was accused by Nuno da Camara Pereira of copyright infringement after the latter had unjustly registered a copyright on the name and insignia of the ancient Royal House. His decided anti-monarchical politics gave impetus to this action. The Civil Court of Lisbon in 2009 found in favor of Nuno da Câmara Pereira against Duarte Pio of Braganza after refusing to nullify said copyright of the name and insignia of the order. http://dn.sapo.pt/Inicio/interior.aspx?content_id=1138778
Membership
Membership in the order may be bestowed upon individuals of any citizenshipCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, or sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
for recognized outstanding contributions to Portuguese Royal Charities or for the spread of devotion to Saint Michael, traditionally venerated as Angel of Portugal and Angel of Peace.
According to Vice-Chancellor and Secretary General Carlos Evaristo, members of the Order who are Roman Catholics are designated as "Professed Brothers", admitted through the Royal Brotherhood of Saint Michael of the Wing, a Catholic Association of the Faithful of which HRH the Duke of Bragança is "Judge", created as an active Roman Catholic social compliment to the Order in 2001. Postulants who are not awarded the Order for outstanding services may join the Royal Brotherhood if they are Catholics in good standing (practicing and not divorced or interdicted) and usually after three years as a Professed Brother in the Royal Brotherhood, may be advanced into the Knightly Order. These grade advancements include:
- Squire
- Knight
- Knight Commander
- Knight Grand Officer
- Grand Cross Knight
- Grand Collar (Reserved exclusively for the Grand Master and the Members of the Grand Council ie. Grand Chancellor, Chancellor and Vice-Chancellors)
Status as a Dynastic Order
According to the Vice-Chancellor for the Foreign Delegation of the Royal Brotherhood of the Order of Saint Michael of the Wing, "[T]he Order is thus Dynastic and similar to the Order of the Most Holy AnnunciationOrder of the Most Holy Annunciation
The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in mediæval Italy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946...
, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
and Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
The Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
which all have Royal Brotherhoods as active social compliments to the honorific decorations and titles bestowed." However, the International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC), presided over by Prof. Dr. Pier Felice degli Uberti classifies the Order under "Other Institutions of Chivalric Character - Ancient chivalric institutions, originally founded as orders, subsequently revived by the dynastic successor of the founding authority."
External links
- Titles and Official Styles. H.R.H. Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza. Burke's Peerage & Gentry International Register of Arms.
- History of the Royal Order of Saint Michael of the Wing. Reference, as told by H.E. Dr. Carlos Evaristo, Vice-Chancellor and Delegate for the Foreign Delegation of the Royal Brotherhood of the Order of Saint Michael of the Wing. This statements were recently made by Carlos Evaristo on a debate on the Order of St. Michael of the Wing held on the forum 'rec.heraldry', with the participation of Guy Stair Sainty, Pier Felice degli Uberti, David Pritchard. Recorded by Professed Brother Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren, former North American Representative of the Foreign Delegation of the Royal Order of St. Michael of the Wing.
- Other Institutions of Chivalric Character. International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC), President Prof. Pier Felice degli Uberti.