Bureau for External Inquiries (Catholic State Q&A)

[Estado Novo Portugues]

• "Estado Novo" is not the name I RP with – I made this nation a year before I came up with the current idea. The proper IC (in character) name for this nation is Catholic State of Portugal, or just Portugal.
• "Meta" questions (about this nation's inspiration, universe, relationship with the NS game, tech levels) must be clearly marked and separated. No mixing of IC and OOC (out of character).
• Purely OOC questions (that have nothing to do with this nation or NS) are not allowed.
• No declarations of war or requests for military alliance.

Quarta feria, XIX Septembris, Anno Domini MMXVIII

Greetings, nations of the world.

Portugal, officially the Catholic State of Portugal (Portuguese: Estado Católico de Portugal, Latin: Status Catholicus Lusitaniæ) is a nation on the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Spain. One of the oldest civilisations on the continent, it has a long and rich history that pre-dates the Ancient Romans.

The Portuguese nation has seen many types of rule in its centuries of existence: from Roman emperors, to medieval kings and queens, to people's republics, to military juntas. The current government is a single-party Christian state headed by a Lord Protector (Senhor-Protetor) who is appointed and holds the office for life. Since 1970, the Lord Protector has been Afonso Salazar. The Catholic State has two official languages – Portuguese and Ecclesiastical Latin. Catholicism (Roman Rite) is the state religion and adherence is mandatory for citizens. However, Catholics of other rites and Orthodox Christians are allowed to practise their own religions without interference.

By direction of the Lord Protector, a Bureau for External Inquiries has been set up to answer questions about Portugal's government, laws, policies, religion and culture. This program is jointly funded and staffed by the Ministry of External Relations and the Ministry of Religion & Culture. Inquiries will normally be answered by an employee of one of those agencies, but if you are lucky you might hear from me, Mr. Fernandes or even Mr. Salazar himself. To keep the volume of messages manageable, only correspondence from heads of state, senior government officials and ordained clergy will receive responses.

We will try to respond to your inquiries in 5 days or less, but please note that the Bureau does not work on Sundays and other Christian holy days. In addition, inquiries of a technical or esoteric nature will be redirected to other agencies that have the relevant knowledge, and they have less time for questions than we do.


Nihil Sine Deo!

Henrique Carvalho
Minister of External Relations

Plácido Fernandes
Minister of Religion & Culture

Afonso Salazar
Lord Protector of the Catholic State

[Prussian Polish Commonwealth]

"Whatever happened to the former royal family of Portugal-and you enjoying the ye olde battlecruisers running up and down your coast blasting Fredricus Rex earrape?"
-Crassus von Hohenzollern-Jagellion



Nihil Sine Deo

[Estado Novo Portugues]

"Greetings, sir. If you are looking for royalty here, unfortunately you are looking in the wrong place. This is because the Portuguese monarchy was abolished in 1910, long before the Ecclesiastical State. There are rumoured to be some descendants of Queen Maria II (1819–1853) still alive today, but we are unsure of their whereabouts ... Battlecruisers off our coasts? My goodness! I'd better tell Mr. Salazar. He will know what to do."

A staffer at the Ministry of Religion & Culture

[Zitravgrad]

"Greeting, good sir."
...
"Following our discussion of fasting, I wonder about the principles of Catholic fasting in general. Please feel free to explain in the length that you are comfortable with. Also, what do you yourself* personally eat during such time of fasting?"
...
"Thank you for your time."
- Kazimir Ivanovich Miroslavsky

*Applies to whoever is answering to us ICly


Nihil Sine Deo

[Estado Novo Portugues]

Secunda feria, XXIV Septembris, Anno Domini MMXVIII

Hello Mr. Miroslavsky, and welcome to the Bureau for External Inquiries – the official question-and-answer hotline of the Portuguese government. I am delighted by your interest in the Ecclesiastical State of Portugal and its religious traditions. After some more research on Orthodox doctrine, I have found it quite similar, almost identical, to the practices of the Catholic Church in Portugal.

Catholicism has become more permissive over time. But I will not let Portugal suffer the same fate, for I am the Lord Protector and it is my job to preserve the holy apostolic Catholic faith in its original expression. Ironically, our Catholic liturgy has more in common with Orthodoxy than with contemporary Catholicism in other places. This is because we practise an older and more conservative form of the faith, known as Traditional Catholicism. The traditional form shares many of the same customs found in Orthodoxy, since it was the form of liturgy used when there was only one Church (the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church did not go their separate ways until A.D. 1054) and then for centuries after, through the Middle Ages.

So naturally, Portuguese Catholics observe holy fasting days much more strictly than other "Catholics" elsewhere, but about the same level as the average Orthodox Christian. For example, Advent – the six weeks leading up to Christmas Day – used to be a fasting period for Catholics as well as Orthodox. It was called the St. Martin's Fast (because it began a day after the saint day for St. Martin) and it was observed at the same time as the Orthodox Nativity Fast. Today, hardly any Catholics fast for Advent anymore. I was not going to let timeless Church traditions be forgotten, so the St. Martin's Fast was revived in Portugal, and the people have observed it with zeal ever since.

About the fasting itself: during a fast day, no food or drink is allowed between sunrise and sunset. In addition, there are some foods that are completely prohibited: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, oil, alcohol, crustaceans and mollusks. The final two in the list were allowed at first, but too many people were eating lobster and escargot on fast days, completely defeating the purpose. Fasting is about sacrifice, not indulgence.

These are all the fasting periods observed by the Catholic Church in Portugal:

Fast days

• Epiphany Eve: January 5, the day before Epiphany (January 6)
• Beheading of John the Baptist: August 29
• Betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot: all Wednesdays
• Crucifixion of Christ: all Fridays
• Preparation for the Holy Eucharist: starts from 21h00 of previous day

Extended fasts

• Lent: starts on Ash Wednesday, ends on Easter Sunday
• St. Martin's Fast: starts on St. Martin's Day (November 11), ends on Christmas Day (December 25)
• Apostles' Fast: starts on second Monday after Pentecost, ends on Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul (June 29)
• Assumption Fast: starts on August 1, ends on Assumption Day (August 15)

What do we eat on fast days? I usually have a French toast (without the butter), salad and tea. There are probably many people who ignore the fast days at home, but cooking or eating in public during a fasting period is illegal and punishable with a fine. In addition, observance of holy days is mandatory for businesses like restaurants, shops and hotels. So restaurants will not serve any of the prohibited food types on fast days, and often remain closed for all of Lent, St. Martin's Fast, Apostles' Fast and Assumption Fast. If you know you cannot fast for health reasons, it is a good idea to stock up on food before the fasting period begins – but better not at the last minute, because the supermarket queues will be frightening.

I hope this information is sufficient to satisfy your curiosity. Fasting is a challenging physical and mental ordeal that tests a person's strength in faith, and may not be suitable for everyone. Individuals who are new to fasting are encouraged to consult a doctor first, to make sure they are healthy enough.


Have a blessed Sabbath and Lord's Day,

Afonso Salazar
Lord Protector of the Ecclesiastical State

[Hamidiye]

Devlet-i ʿAlīye-i ʿHamidīye
office of the Sheik ul-Islam





Selam, kafirler!



On behalf of my Sultan: Are there any muslims in your nation, and if so are their rights properly respected?




Musa Kâzım Paşa



Padişahım çok yaşa! Devletinle bin yaşa!

[Knessniet]

"Ah, another brother in Christ! Would you kindly explain your economy?"
- Grand Duke Herman XIII

Nihil Sine Deo

[Estado Novo Portugues]

"Ah, another brother in Christ! Would you kindly explain your economy?"
- Grand Duke Herman XIII

"The Ecclesiastical State has a planned economy. Rather than let production and consumption be controlled by the free market, they are closely regulated by the government. This is because we are a Catholic nation, and capitalist decadence is considered sinful. So in a way, our economy is 'socialist'. But Portugal is different, in that it maintains strong religious, social and class traditions – the same cannot be said for a socialist state. Perhaps 'syndicalist' or 'fascist' is a more accurate description.

Unfortunately, we do not consider Protestants to be our 'brothers in Christ'. That honour is reserved for followers of Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, as those are the only 'true' Christian churches with valid apostolic succession and Sacraments."

Plácido Fernandes, Minister of Religion & Culture

---

(Image)
Devlet-i ʿAlīye-i ʿHamidīye
office of the Sheik ul-Islam

(Image)



Selam, kafirler!



On behalf of my Sultan: Are there any muslims in your nation, and if so are their rights properly respected?




Musa Kâzım Paşa

(Image)

Padişahım çok yaşa! Devletinle bin yaşa!

OOC: What's the password?

[Knessniet]

"If another crusade was declared, would you join it?"
- Grand Duke Herman XIII

[Estado Novo Portugues]

"Portuguese military involvement is strictly limited by law. The Ecclesiastical State has a policy of armed neutrality, meaning it will not enter military alliances or intervene in conflicts taking place on foreign soil. However, the purpose of the armed forces is to defend the Christian faith, above all else. So if a nation's government is severely and systematically oppressing Christians, like a genocide or something of that scale, we will step in.

Sadly, a crusade is unlikely to ever happen in this century, with more and more nations turning their backs on the Church, or worse, embracing the heathens that Europe worked so hard to rid itself of during the Middle Ages. In the rare instances when we do decide to get involved, often we are forced to go at it alone."

Henrique Carvalho, Minister of External Relations

[Knessniet]

"Has the lack of Catholic allies ever made you consider accepting Protestants as equals?"
- Grand Duke Herman XIII

[Hamidiye]

OOC: What's the password?

what password?

[Estado Novo Portugues]

what password?

OOC: Please click the button that says README - OOC and read all the instructions. You'll find a "password" that you have to say, before you can participate. Hint: it's a 3 word Latin phrase and you'll see it in everyone else's post.

[Hamidiye]

what password?

OOC: Please click the button that says README - OOC and read all the instructions. You'll find a "password" that you have to say, before you can participate. Hint: it's a 3 word Latin phrase and you'll see it in everyone else's post.

ooc: what the hell is that for?

[Prussian Polish Commonwealth]

"A recent census shows that there are more pagans than atheists in Prussia-Poland. What are your thoughts?"
-Mid-level bureacrat

[Zitravgrad]

"Salutions, my good sir. My name is Dr. Sergei Petrovich Pashkov, the Director of Blue Cross International. I would like to inquire about the state of healthcare and medical study in your nation, as well as how your respectable nation deals with the questions of hygiene, vaccination, disease prevention and containment."
...
"We consider it a duty of goodwill to assist and share our knowledge with any entity responsible for medical care in your nation."
- Dr. Sergei Petrovich Pashkov, Director of Blue Cross International

[Estado Novo Portugues]

"Has the lack of Catholic allies ever made you consider accepting Protestants as equals?"
- Grand Duke Herman XIII

"Greetings sir. I am sorry to tell you, but the Ecclesiastical State does not make alliances of convenience. It is a historical fact that the Catholic Church, along with the Orthodox Church, is the rightful successor to the original church of Christ through apostolic succession. And so Catholics are the true followers of the Lord, not merely 'equals' among heretics, heathens and atheists. This is a belief that we stand firm by."

Afonso Salazar

[Estado Novo Portugues]

"A recent census shows that there are more pagans than atheists in Prussia-Poland. What are your thoughts?"
-Mid-level bureacrat

"I cannot help but say that I am disappointed. A nation with 'God' in its motto should do everything it can to defend the one holy apostolic Catholic Christian faith from heathen degradation, and instill the faith firmly in the population. False gods are nothing but inventions of the Devil. Of course, the Ecclesiastical State government has no say in the spiritual or temporal affairs of other nations. But I hope your leaders can act as shepherds and guide the flock back in the right direction."

Plácido Fernandes, Minister of Religion & Culture

[Estado Novo Portugues]

"Salutions, my good sir. My name is Dr. Sergei Petrovich Pashkov, the Director of Blue Cross International. I would like to inquire about the state of healthcare and medical study in your nation, as well as how your respectable nation deals with the questions of hygiene, vaccination, disease prevention and containment."
...
"We consider it a duty of goodwill to assist and share our knowledge with any entity responsible for medical care in your nation."
- Dr. Sergei Petrovich Pashkov, Director of Blue Cross International

Quinta feria, IV Octobris, Anno Domini MMXVIII

Hello Dr. Pashkov,

Thank you for your inquiry. Like most important public services such as police and utilities, the Ecclesiastical State's healthcare system is nationalised and universal. In fact, you could consider us a socialist state – minus the anti-religious element.

In Portugal, the collective wellbeing of the population is considered more important than individual autonomy. In the case of public health, it means that staying healthy is the responsibility of everyone, not just doctors and nurses. An example is mandatory medical checkups and vaccinations. All citizens must visit their doctor once a year to be checked for infectious diseases and health problems. They must also have the required vaccines for their age, unless they are allergic to the drugs. If individuals refuse a checkup or vaccine without valid reasons, health officials and police are allowed to detain them and bring them to a doctor so they can receive proper care.

The Ecclesiastical State has very effective policies to prevent disease outbreaks. In conjunction with mandatory checkups, individuals who are diagnosed with serious infectious diseases are ordered to stay at home and avoid contact with the public. For exceptionally severe epidemics, infected individuals can also be confined in treatment facilities until doctors confirm they are disease-free. Since 1970, there has not been a single mass outbreak anywhere in the nation. But public health is not just about controlling serious diseases – it is also about staying healthy every day. Bacteria and viruses can spread through the air or surfaces, so spitting or relieving human waste in public is absolutely prohibited, as well as coughing or sneezing without covering the nose and mouth. Doing these can result in a fine or whipping, to send a clear message that being unhygienic is not tolerated in our society.

We also encourage citizens to live healthy lifestyles. Sport and fitness clubs are rewarded with tax breaks. Vending machines that sell candy or soft drinks – such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Red Bull – are not allowed in any building open to children, including schools and metro stations. And as you might already know, there is no Internet in the Ecclesiastical State, and television is only for news and educational shows. This is why Portuguese youths do not have a screen addiction problem. Some people think our rules are an excessive restriction on personal freedom, but we believe they are necessary for the greater good of society. An unhealthy population harms the national economy and strains the healthcare system.

The standard of education for Portuguese health professionals is quite high. To be accepted into medical school, candidates must have a university degree with cum laude honours, and complete their compulsory military service obligation. Despite Portuguese medical schools being recognised internationally for their prestige, very few foreign students come here to study medicine. This is because Portugal's highly traditional views do not appeal to most foreigners.

I hope this information fully answers your questions about healthcare and public health in the Ecclesiastical State of Portugal. I am also interested to know if some of our public health policies are shared by your nation.

Non sibi sed omnibus – not for myself but for all

César Ferreira
Minister of Public Health

[Zitravgrad]

"Thank you for your excellently detailed answer, Mr. Salazar. We are very impressed with the tight and careful measure your state employs to ensure the wellbeing of your citizens. Please excuse my rudeness, but initially I expected that a highly religious state would reject scientific findings in medicine. This is what we initially found in the anti-vaxxers. But here we are! I applaud your maneuver!"
...
"The United Socialist States has employed similar measure, albeit perhaps not as strict. Our healthcare is nationalized and universal, opened not only to our citizens but also foreigners who hold the right visa. Our education also emphasizes the importance of health and hygiene as well as the methodology around it. We also have rather rigid physical education curriculum as well as conscription and the newly-implemented mental health awareness."
...
"Our health check-up is free and highly recommended to our citizens, although only mandatory when one is applying for a job and when one is sending their application for Parental Licensing. Meanwhile, vaccination is mandatory to all citizens and ideally one citizen who was born since our government came to power in 2009 would receive up to 5-7 mandatory vaccinations to prevent the major diseases, while other vaccinations according to personal health risk would be voluntary."
...
"Right... Our epidemics control is just about as strict. Any person showing the symptom of any highly serious disease will be contained in a health institution while the public will be informed of disease prevention. But here is our knack, sir. Our fast and open communication hubs can spread information faster and quicker, allowing us to reach out to our citizens within minutes."
...
"Thank you again for your answer. Here is a further question: how does your nation treat the questions of contraceptives and abortion, as well as euthanasia? The last one, known as the bane of every doctor's purpose, is unfortunately legal in Zitravgrad."
- Dr. Sergei Petrovich Pashkov, Director of Blue Cross International

[Black Providence]

[The message arrived from a tall, cloaked figure in front of the background resembling the flag. His eye right eye was obscured and his left eye was glowing with yellow light...]

"Salutations to you and to the respectable head of the state, His Holiness."
...
"Do not let your prejudice get ahead of you. Our cult does not have any apparent reason to seek the obliteration of any other religion or cult. Life is a search of knowledge and not a crusade. And this leads to our questions."
...
"How does your nation treat a rarely-known cult of pagan-like belief which revolves around a supreme being of great knowledge? This is a twist -- this cult believes in Abrahamic God, for they hold tightly that their supreme being was created by this very God. This is not Freemasonry, but arguably shares
the style and the enigma."
...
"Nihil Sine Deo, my good sirs."
- Yeruslan Cherkosky

[Estado Novo Portugues]

(OOC: Sorry for the long wait. I was busy with some real life stuff.)

---

"Thank you for your excellently detailed answer, Mr. Salazar. We are very impressed with the tight and careful measure your state employs to ensure the wellbeing of your citizens. Please excuse my rudeness, but initially I expected that a highly religious state would reject scientific findings in medicine. This is what we initially found in the anti-vaxxers. But here we are! I applaud your maneuver!"
...
"The United Socialist States has employed similar measure, albeit perhaps not as strict. Our healthcare is nationalized and universal, opened not only to our citizens but also foreigners who hold the right visa. Our education also emphasizes the importance of health and hygiene as well as the methodology around it. We also have rather rigid physical education curriculum as well as conscription and the newly-implemented mental health awareness."
...
"Our health check-up is free and highly recommended to our citizens, although only mandatory when one is applying for a job and when one is sending their application for Parental Licensing. Meanwhile, vaccination is mandatory to all citizens and ideally one citizen who was born since our government came to power in 2009 would receive up to 5-7 mandatory vaccinations to prevent the major diseases, while other vaccinations according to personal health risk would be voluntary."
...
"Right... Our epidemics control is just about as strict. Any person showing the symptom of any highly serious disease will be contained in a health institution while the public will be informed of disease prevention. But here is our knack, sir. Our fast and open communication hubs can spread information faster and quicker, allowing us to reach out to our citizens within minutes."
...
"Thank you again for your answer. Here is a further question: how does your nation treat the questions of contraceptives and abortion, as well as euthanasia? The last one, known as the bane of every doctor's purpose, is unfortunately legal in Zitravgrad."
- Dr. Sergei Petrovich Pashkov, Director of Blue Cross International

Tertia feria, XVI Octobris, Anno Domini MMXVIII

Hello again, Doctor.

I am César Ferreira, the Minister of Public Health. My responsibility is to administer the Ecclesiastical State's national health system and advise Mr. Salazar on matters of health policy.

Religion has a heavy influence on all areas of our society, and medicine is no exception. Since human life is sacrosanct in Catholic belief, abortion is illegal unless the life of the mother is at serious risk, or the pregnancy resulted from a rape or other coercion. Similarly, chemical contraceptives are also illegal because we consider life to exist as soon as a sperm meets an egg. Physical contraceptives are legal, but stores are not allowed to display them openly. You have to specifically request them – same for tobacco, alcohol and other products harmful to society.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal for the same reason: sanctity of life. Doctors and other health professionals are strictly prohibited from causing intentional harm to their patients, even with permission (so body modification and plastic surgery are illegal too). However, being in a vegetative state does not excuse horrible criminals from the death penalty. If a criminal is on life-support when the court sentences him to death, all medication and care will terminate upon the death order. But since doctors are not allowed to kill, the actual execution is carried out by a police officer, prison guard or Inquisitor (state security agent).

Non sibi sed omnibus

César Ferreira
Minister of Public Health

---

[The message arrived from a tall, cloaked figure in front of the background resembling the flag. His eye right eye was obscured and his left eye was glowing with yellow light...]

"Salutations to you and to the respectable head of the state, His Holiness."
...
"Do not let your prejudice get ahead of you. Our cult does not have any apparent reason to seek the obliteration of any other religion or cult. Life is a search of knowledge and not a crusade. And this leads to our questions."
...
"How does your nation treat a rarely-known cult of pagan-like belief which revolves around a supreme being of great knowledge? This is a twist -- this cult believes in Abrahamic God, for they hold tightly that their supreme being was created by this very God. This is not Freemasonry, but arguably shares
the style and the enigma."
...
"Nihil Sine Deo, my good sirs."
- Yeruslan Cherkosky

Tertia feria, XVI Octobris, Anno Domini MMXVIII

Good day, Mr. Cherkosky.

To my knowledge, such a cult does not have any followers in the Ecclesiastical State. And I am sorry to say this, but Portugal strictly outlaws the practice of foreign religions.

Your cult claims to worship the same God as us. This is actually not unique – countless other groups (Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, Jehovah's Witnesses) claim the same thing. This is schism at best, and heresy at worst. Being Christian means accepting the authority of the Catholic Church descended from Christ and his followers. Otherwise, these people are no more "Christian" than Jews and Muslims are, even if they believe in one creator. So while I understand that your cult is peaceful and harmless, it cannot be a legal recognised religion because it disagrees with some core Catholic beliefs.

In addition, I have to disagree with you about life being a "search of knowledge". We prefer not to concern ourselves about why things in the world are the way they are – asking "why" just leads to endless uncertainties. Instead, we just accept them as divine mysteries that are beyond human reason.

Again, I apologise for the hard unwavering stance, but Mr. Salazar has made it clear that Portugal is a Christian nation and will remain one for ages to come.

Nihil Sine Deo

Plácido Fernandes
Minister of Religion and Culture

[Chadtonia]

While Provinces, Colonies, Territories set their own limits the Federally Suggested Guideline is as follows

Municipal roads: 30 mph.

Country roads: 40 mph

State Roads: 50 mph

Federal Roads (excepting roundabouts): 60 mph

Roundabouts: 5 to 10 mph.

Interstates: 70 mph

The only Federally mandated speed limits are in the capitol city at 20 miles per hour around the Grand Royal Convene and 10 miles per hour at the Grand Royal Roundabout.

[Zitravgrad]

"Your Excellency, I pass to you my salutations and harvest season's last greetings. I hope you can help me with this issue."
...
"In Zitravgrad, Catholicism is a small minority but now seeing a slight growth. That in itself is not our concern. Our issue here is that there seems to be a less-than-reliable organization known as Opus Dei. We are rather unsure about their activity and we do not wish to have a baseless clashing with any religious group again since the ban in religion was lifted. Can you kindly explain to us the basis of who they are and what they do? The more profound the information, the better for us and for the group. I send to you my gratitude in advance."
- Kazimir Ivanovich Miroslavsky, Chairman of Zitravgrad

[Estado Novo Portugues]

Tertia feria, XXX Octobris, Anno Domini MMXVIII

Hello Mr. Miroslavsky.

I believe you are talking about the Prælatura Sanctæ Crucis et Operis Dei (Prelature of the Holy Cross and Work of God), correct? This organisation, called Opus Dei for short, is an international society of Catholic Christians, most of whom are not clergy but ordinary working men and women. Opus Dei teaches that every job is holy and should be done well. When you faithfully perform your work, no matter what job you have, you serve your brothers in Christ and glorify the Lord. So if you ask me for my opinion, I believe this society is harmless or even beneficial, by encouraging its members to be productive workers. In fact, you can think of Opus Dei as the reverse of a worker's union. A union only cares about what the state can do for workers, but the Opus inspires workers to do more for their country.

However, this society has a controversial history. Opponents of Opus Dei claim that it supports fascism, and that its members have worked for authoritarian right-wing rulers like Francisco Franco and Augusto Pinochet. I am not sure if your people would consider the Ecclesiastical State "fascist", but there are Opus Dei members in government. In addition, there are rumours that Josemaría Escrivá, the priest who founded the organisation, secretly supported the German chancellor Adolf Hitler. These associations have not harmed the image of Opus Dei in Portugal, but could cause trouble in a socialist nation like yours.

I hope this bit of intel will better help you form an opinion on this religious society. Ultimately it is up to you, whether to permit it within your borders.

Afonso Salazar
Lord Protector of the Ecclesiastical State