The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Chongqing (Chungking) ( la, Archidioecesis Ciomchimensis, zh, t=天主教重慶總教區) is a Latin Metropolitan

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

located in southwestern

PR China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, yet still depends on the missionary

Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples 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 letter ...

. Its archiepiscopal see in the Cathedral of St. Joseph, in provincial-level city of

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

. The archdiocese has been vacant without an

Apostolic administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

since 2003.

Statistics and extent

It borders on the Diocese of Suifu 敘府 (its suffragan), Diocese of Shunqing 順慶, Diocese of Wanxian 萬縣 (its suffragan), Diocese of Shinan 施南, Diocese of Yuanling 沅陵, Apostolic Prefecture of Shiqian 石阡 and Metropolitan Archdiocese of Guiyang 貴陽. In 1950, it pastorally served 37,608 Catholic (.3%) on 135,187 Square Miles in 42 parishes with 85 diocesan priests and 120 religious (only 6 male).

Ecclesiastical province

Its

Suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

sees are : *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu (formerly spelt Chengtu) ( la, Dioecesis Cemtuana; zh, t=天主教成都教區, s=天主教成都教区) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing ...

(成都) *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Jiading The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jiading (formerly spelled Kiating; la, Dioecesis Chiatimensis; zh, t=天主教嘉定教區, s=天主教嘉定教区), also known as Diocese of Leshan ( zh, t=天主教樂山教區, s=天主教乐山教区, labels= ...

(嘉定) *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kangding The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kangding/Kanting ( la, Dioecesis Camtimensis, zh, t=天主教康定教區) is a Latin diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan of Chongqing in western China, but still dependent on the Roman Missi ...

(康定) *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningyuan The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningyuan/Xichang ( la, Dioecesis Nimiuenensis; zh, t=天主教甯遠教區) is a diocese located in the city of Xichang in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing, Chongqing in China. ...

(甯遠) *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Shunqing The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shunqing/Shunking/Nanchong ( la, Dioecesis Scioenchimensis; zh, t=天主教順慶教區) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing, Chongqing in southwest ...

(順慶) *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Suifu The Roman Catholic Diocese of Suifu/Yibin ( la, Dioecesis Siufuana, zh, t=天主教敘府教區) is a diocese located in the city of Yibin in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing, Chongqing in China. History * ...

(敘府) *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Wanxian The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wanxian (formerly spelled Wanhsien; la, Dioecesis Uanscienensis; zh, t=天主教萬縣教區), also known as Diocese of Wanzhou, is a Latin Catholic diocese located in Wanzhou District (formerly Wanxian), Chongqing ...

(萬縣), its daughter

History

* Established on 2 April 1856 as Apostolic Vicariate of Southeastern Szechwan (), renamed on 24 January 1860 as Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Szechwan (), on territory split off from the

Apostolic Vicariate of Szechwan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

(

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

), separating it from North-western Szechwan and its first name was South-eastern Szechwan. There were nine European and ten native priests, the mission being confided to the

Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons ...

. The Right Rev. Mgr Desflèches (1844–87),

Titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Sinita, was elected first

Apostolic vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

. Missionaries and

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

were subject to imperial persecutions, but after the Franco-Chinese War of 1860, they obtained entire freedom to preach. In 1860 the mission was divided into two Apostolic vicariates: Eastern - and Southern Szechwan. The missionaries obtained from Chinese officials a piece of ground in the city of Chongqing (Chungking), as compensation for the losses undergone by the mission. New persecutions broke out: at Yu-yang Father Eyraud was put in jail, Fathers Mabileau and Rigaud were murdered; at Kien-Kiang Fathers Hue and Tay were killed in 1873; on 8 March 1876, the settlements of the Christians were pillaged at Kiang-pe. Father Coupat, elected coadjutor in 1882, in 1888 succeeded Bishop Desflèches, who was 'promoted'

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Claudiopolis in Honoriade Claudiopolis ( gr, Κλαυδιόπολις) was an ancient city in the Roman province of Paphlagonia (and later Honorias) in northern Asia Minor. It was an episcopal see during Late Antiquity, and remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Chur ...

. In 1886 the buildings of the mission at Chongqing were pillaged and destroyed, the bishop and missionaries had to retire into the Chinese tribunal. In 1891 the Right Rev. Mgr Chouvellon, titular Bishop of

Dausara ''Dausara'' is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems w ...

, succeeded Bishop Coupat. In 1898 Fr. Fleury was captured by Yu-man-tse and held prisoner for months.http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Sze-Ch%27wan_(Eastern) * Renamed on 3 December 1924 after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Chongqing (; Chungking; in French: ). * Lost territory on 2 August 1929 to establish the then Apostolic Vicariate of Wanxian (; 萬縣), now its suffragan * Promoted on 11 April 1946 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Chongqing ().

Episcopal ordinaries

(all

Roman rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

, so far members of a Latin missionary congregation) ;''Apostolic Vicars of Eastern Szechwan 四川東境'' * Eugène-Jean-Claude-Joseph Desflèches,

(M.E.P.) (born France) (2 April 1856 – retired 20 February 1883); previously

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Sinita (1842.05.29 – 1883.02.20) as Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of

Szechwan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

四川 (China) (1844 – 1856.04.02); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Claudiopolis (in Honoriade) (1883.02.20 – death 1887.11.07). * Eugène-Paul Coupat, M.E.P. (born France) (20 February 1883 – death 26 January 1890), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Szechwan 四川東境 (China) (1882.08.28 – 1883.02.20) and Titular Bishop of

Thagaste Thagaste (or Tagaste) was a Roman- Berber city in present-day Algeria, now called Souk Ahras. The town was the birthplace of Saint Augustine. History Thagaste was originally a small Numidian village, inhabited by a Berber tribe into which August ...

(1882.08.28 – 1890.01.26) *'' Father Laurent Blettery, M.E.P. (born France) (2 September 1890 – 17 August 1891 not possessed), Titular Bishop of Zela (1890.09.02 – 1891.08.17 not possessed); died 1898'' * Célestin-Félix-Joseph Chouvellon, M.E.P. (born France) (25 September 1891 – death 11 May 1924), Titular Bishop of

(1891.09.25 – 1924.05.11) ;''Apostolic Vicar of Chongqing 重慶'' * Louis-Gabriel-Xavier Jantzen, M.E.P. (last incumbent born in France) (16 February 1925 – 11 April 1946 ''see below''),

Tremithus Tremetousia ( el, Τρεμετουσιά []; tr, Tremeşe or ) is a village in the Larnaca District of Cyprus, located 7 km east of Athienou. It is one of only four villages in the district under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus, the ...

(1926.02.16 – 1946.04.11) ;''Metropolitan Archbishops of Chongqing 重慶'' * Louis-Gabriel-Xavier Jantzen,

M.E.P. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons ...

(''see above'' 11 April 1946 – retired 24 October 1950), emeritate as

of Phasis (1950.10.24 – death 1953.08.28) *''uncanonical, i.e. without papal mandate : Shi Ming-liang (石明良) (1963 – ?), died 1978'' *''without papal mandate : Simon Liu Zong-yu (劉宗漁) (1981 – 1992.09.30), died 1992'' * Peter Luo Bei-zhan (駱北瞻) (1993 – death 2001.03.26).

References

Sources and external links

GCatholic.org - data for all sections except statistics

;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chongqing, Roman Catholic Archdiocese Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century

Religious organizations established in 1856 Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...

Organizations based in Chongqing An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived fro ...