The Royal Equestrian and Military Order of Saint Michael of the Wing ( la, Regia Equitum et Militum Ordo Sancte Michaelis Sive de Ala, pt, Real Ordem Equestre e Militar de São Miguel da Ala) is a Portuguese

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

dynastic order A dynastic order, monarchical order, or house order is an order under royal patronage. Such an order is bestowed by, as a legitimate , a sovereign or the head of a once-sovereign ruling family. These are often considered part of the cultural p ...

that is believed to have been founded in 1147 in the

Alcobaça Monastery The Alcobaça Monastery ( pt, Mosteiro de Alcobaça, ''Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça'') is a Catholic monastic complex located in the town of Alcobaça, in central Portugal, some 120 km north of Lisbon. The monastery was established ...

Alcobaça, Portugal Alcobaça () is a Portuguese city and municipality in the Oeste region, in the historical province of Estremadura, and in the Leiria District. The city grew along the valleys of the rivers Alcoa and Baça, from which it derives its name. The ...

, by King

Afonso I of Portugal Afonso I of PortugalOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' ( Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on the Spanish or French in ...

, in commemoration of the Conquest of Santarém from the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinc ...

in 1147. The name was chosen in honour of the military

Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Or ...

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

, who assisted in the victory in the shape of a

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

in the sky. Its medieval history including claims of recognition in 1171 by

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

, relies heavily on documentation from the 16th to the 18th century, it is classified by the privately operated and funded International Commission on Orders of Chivalry as an "Institution of chivalric character" that was founded as a

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval conc ...

subsequently "revived by the dynastic successor of the founding authority" (2004). The knights were under the

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. J ...

of the

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

of the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...

Alcobaça Monastery, and recited the same prayers as its

lay brother Lay brother is a largely extinct term referring to religious brothers, particularly in the Catholic Church, who focused upon manual service and secular matters, and were distinguished from choir monks or friars in that they did not pray in choir, ...

s along with other military orders during the

Reconquista The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...

. It is considered to have been revived twice. First in 1828 or 1848 in support of the

Miguelist In the history of Portugal, a Miguelist (in Portuguese ''Miguelista'') was a supporter of the legitimacy of the king Miguel I of Portugal. The name is also given to those who supported absolutism as form of government, in opposition to the libe ...

movement by King Miguel I of Portugal, and secondly in its current form in 1981 by later Portuguese monarchists, recognised in 1986 by the Royal

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Am ...

Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza (Portuguese: ''Duarte Pio de Bragança'': born 15 May 1945) is the current Duke of Braganza, claimant to the title of King of Portugal of the dormant Portuguese throne, as the head of the House of Braganza. The Mig ...

pretender A pretender is someone who claims to be the rightful ruler of a country although not recognized as such by the current government. The term is often used to suggest that a claim is not legitimate.Curley Jr., Walter J. P. ''Monarchs-in-Waiting'' ...

to the Portuguese throne as head of its former royal house, is grand master of the order and ''Judge'' of the associated ''Royal Brotherhood'',

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by ...

d as Roman Catholic

association of the faithful In the Catholic Church, an association of the Christian faithful or simply association of the faithful (Latin: ''consociationes christifidelium'') sometimes called a public association of the faithful, is a group of baptized persons, clerics or l ...

in 2001, with proof of previous statutes of 1630, 1848 and 1981. Ever since, the order has been conferred on individuals of merit through the brotherhood chosen exclusively by the House of Braganza.

Name

The name derives from the Wing of Saint Michael the Archangel, who, it was believed, assisted at the victory of the

Taking of Santarém Taking or takings may refer to: * Theft, illicit taking * The acquisition of land under eminent domain * Take (hunting) or taking, an action that adversely affects a species * Kidnapping of persons See also * * * * Take (disambiguation) * Tak ...

from the

on 8 May 1147. It is confirmed fact that the passage of Halley's Comet was perceived as a flaming

in the sky.

History

Depending on the source consulted, the order existed briefly in the 12th century, fell into disuse in 1732, subsequently revived in 1848, survived until 1910, subsequently revived in 1986. Unlike many other Portuguese orders, it has not been nationalized as a decoration of the state by the post-1910

Portuguese Republic Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the ...

Middle Ages

The order was founded by King Afonso I to honour a group of knights of the

Order of Saint James of the Sword The Military Order of Saint James of the Sword ( pt, Ordem Militar de Sant'Iago da Espada) is a Portuguese order of chivalry. Its full name is the Ancient, Most Noble and Enlightened Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, of the Scientif ...

from the

Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...

who assisted him in retaking Santarém from the

on the Feast of

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

, May 8, 1147. Originally, the order was formed from members of the ''Military Order of Saint James''. This is why it maintains on its coat of arms the red sword of this Order conjoined with 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 re-establishment of all Orders as unarmed and non-military Orders of "Honorific Knighthood" in 1834. The Order's first statutes were approved by

in 1171. The order fell into disuse by 1732 at the latest. In 1907, George Cyprian Alston, writing in the

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

stated that the order died in the Middle Ages, soon after the death of its founder, Alphonse, while others, such as John C.L. Gieseler (also known by the German form of his name ''Johann K.L. Gieseler''), argued that it only ever existed on paper. It was not, in any case, included among the royal orders that were nationalized by the

after the

Revolution of 1910 The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destructio ...

Miguelism

The Order was restored by King Miguel I in 1828 during his brief rule before losing the

Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 18 ...

to his brother King Pedro IV. Later, in 1848, the order received new statutes under permission of

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...

, whilst King Miguel was living in exile in the Rome. These Statutes restructured it as a secret military order to combat Freemasonry and restore the Absolutist Monarchy in Portugal. Some Portuguese scholars, such as Marcus de Noronha da Costa, Gomes Abrunhosa Marques de Almeida, and Manuel Ângelo, reject the description of the 1848 institution as a revived ''order'' and regard it as a secret society aiming to restore Miguel's branch of the Braganza family to power in Portugal. The headquarters of the revived order were located in Porto. After his death in 1866, a group of knights are said to have remained until 1868. Its activity was however officially suspended after the Pope prohibited all secret organisations, Roman Catholic or otherwise. There are disputed claims that Miguel's revived order was awarded by his descendants until in 1986,

and

to the Portuguese throne, informed the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

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. Duarte Pio's claims have been disputed in Portuguese courts which, in at least one case, held that Duarte Pio's order is an entirely new private entity, not a dynastic award of the House of Braganza. The Civil Courts finally ruled decisively in favour of the valid and founded claims of Dom Duarte de Bragança, and on December 7, Duarte Pio of Braganza won the case and retained the legal rights.

Modern revival

In 2001, the Duke promulgated new statutes submitted to various bishops to govern a royal Catholic brotherhood to complement the order as an active social group for Roman Catholic members, and since that time, the order has been conferred on individuals through the brotherhood chosen exclusively by the

. The signing of the new statutes of the order were made with proof of previous statutes of the years 1630, 1848 and 1981 by Prince Duarte Pio.

Dispute 2014-2015

In 2014, the Court of Lisbon forbade Duarte Pio of Braganza to use the insignia of the Order of Saint Michael of the Wing and demanded that he pay compensation of €300,000 to the legal owners of the rights,

Nuno da Câmara Pereira Nuno can refer to *Nuno (given name) :*Nuno Espirito Santo, football manager :*Nuno Tavares, football player *Nuño (given name) *Nuno felting, a fabric felting technique *'' Nuno'', meaning "ancestor" in Philippine languages, usually in reference ...

, who allegedly registered the name "Order of Saint Michael of the Wing" ( Portuguese: "Ordem de São Miguel da Ala") in 1981, whereas Duarte Pio is said to have registered it in 2004. The condemnation was repeated on October 5, 2015. However, on November 3, 2015, the rights of Nuno Pereira da Camera to the symbols was lost, and on December 7, 2015, Duarte Pio of Braganza won the case and regained the legal rights.

Organisation

Star of a Knight Commander of the Order of St

Membership in the order may be bestowed upon individuals of any citizenship, religion, or gender for recognised 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.Statutes of the Royal Brotherhood of Saint Michael of the Wing
Members of the order who are

s are designated as "Professed Brothers", admitted through the Royal Brotherhood of Saint Michael of the Wing (SMA), a Roman Catholic

Association of the faithful In the Catholic Church, an association of the Christian faithful or simply association of the faithful (Latin: ''consociationes christifidelium'') sometimes called a public association of the faithful, is a group of baptized persons, clerics or l ...

of which the Duke of Braganza 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 Roman Catholics in good standing (practicing and not divorced or interdicted) and usually after three years as a Professed Brother, may be advanced into the order.

Ranks

The grade advancements include: * Grand Collar (with insignia surmounted by crown is reserved exclusively for use by the Grand Master and without crown is used by the members of the grand council, i.e. grand

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

and chancellor) * Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Brotherhood (worn by the Grand Master, Royal Patrons, Bishops, vice-chancellors, Grand Chaplains and Judges and also by Delegates of the Royal Brotherhood when serving in representative charge. Otherwise it can be bestowed in special cases to royalty and other high ranking or VIP members of the Order such as heads of state. It can also be bestowed on anyone the Grand Master or Bishops decide to award for extraordinary services rendered. Note that this Collar is the Collar of the Royal Brotherhood of the Order of Saint Michael of the Wing instituted in 2021 for the 850th anniversary of the Order and is not the same as the Grand Collar of the Order) *

Grand Cross Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...

(cross in a sash over the right shoulder and a gold plaque) * Grand Officer (cross around the neck and gold breast star) *

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

(cross around the neck and silver breast star) *

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

(cross around the neck of Commander size)

Notable recipients

* Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (Grand Cross) * Arthur Valerian Wellesley, 8th

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister ...

(

) * Owana Salazar, Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i (Grand Cross) * Gary R. Herbert,

Governor of Utah A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

(

)

References

External links

Foundation of the House of Braganza
(Portuguese)
Website of order associated with Nuno Pereira da Camera
(Portuguese) {{Authority control Michael of the Wing Michael of the Wing Michael of the Wing Michael of the Wing Catholic orders and societies Michael (archangel)