Although Church and State were formally separated during the Portuguese First Republic (1910–1926), a separation reiterated in the constitution of 1976, Roman Catholic precepts continue to have a significant bearing in Portuguese society and culture.
天主教會與葡萄牙政府在葡萄牙第一共和國（1910-1926）期間正式分開，1976年葡萄牙憲法重申了政教分離，但天主教會的戒律仍然對葡萄牙社會和文化產生重大影響。