Santa Casa de Misericórdia
The Santa Casa de Misericórdia ( German : Holy House of Mercy ) is a centuries-old Catholic health care facility in Portugal , which later also established itself in all the larger cities of the country as well as in the former colonies in America , Africa and Asia and is still there today plays a very important role. The foundation dates back to 1498, when Father Miguel Contreiras founded the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa with the support of Queen Eleanor of Portugal , whose confessor he was.
history
prehistory
The development of maritime expansion in the 15th century , the ports and commercial activities of Portugal, favored the influx of people into the urban areas, as was the case with Lisbon . People came in large numbers to look for work or enrichment, but often without success. Their living conditions deteriorated increasingly. The streets of Lisbon turned into breeding grounds of promiscuity and disease, with large numbers of beggars and foundlings .
Countless shipwrecks in battles on the high seas contributed to the need for help for large numbers of destitute widows and orphans . The situation of prisoners in the kingdom's prisons was also dire. Thus, under the direction of the Sisters of Charity, foundations and hospitals sprang up across the country. The Sisters of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa were the only ones who cared about the health of the population at the time. It can be called the oldest active NGO in the world, if not the first.
Beginning
The “Brotherhood of Our Lady, Mother of God, Virgin Mary of Mercy” was formed on August 15, 1498 in the chapel of the Lisbon Cathedral . The founders were a group of lay people and monks of the Trinitarian order . Membership was limited to 50 nobles and 50 citizens and the establishment by the brother of Queen King Manuel I. confirmed. The Brotherhood's stated aim was to provide spiritual and material help to those in need. From this humble origin, the idea jumped and spread throughout the Portuguese-speaking world . During the modern era , the Santas Casas de Misericórdia were the most important institutions for the poor of the Portuguese Empire .
On the basis of the Lisbon model, similar institutions were organized with the aim of practicing charity after the 14 works of mercy . Nevertheless, the "Misericórdias" were very different. The story of mercy can only be understood against the background of the older past of charitable activity in Europe.
present
All Santas Casas de Misericórdia around the world are usually non-profit organizations that are dedicated to funding cases of public interest. They are not monitored by the church or the state. As the “cradle of the health system”, they are a very respected institution and are still scattered all over Portugal and are active beyond that. Branches of the brotherhood range from Nagasaki ( Japan ) and all of Brazil , via Goa , Macau to the other Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa ( Guinea-Bissau , Cape Verde , Angola , Mozambique ) and Asia ( East Timor ).
In Portugal they are considered to be a very respected institution and legal person under private law . They are part of the public administration, approved by the state under the respective statutes through Legislative Decree No. 235/2008 of December 3, 2008. The SCM in Lisbon also has the exclusive right to organize and operate lotteries such as the Euromillions in the entire national territory under the name Jogos da Santa Casa .
Web links
- Website of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lisbon (Portuguese)
- History of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lisbon (Portuguese)
Individual evidence
- ^ Social security in Portugal . Leben-in-portugal.wiki. Accessed August 9, 2016
- ^ The Portuguese model of poor relief and the dynamics of the Holy Houses of Mercy in Portuguese America . scielo.br. Accessed August 10, 2016 (Portuguese / English / French)
- ^ The Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Portugal . link.springer.com. Accessed August 9, 2016 (English)
- ↑ Santa Casa website . jogossantacasa.pt. Accessed August 9, 2016