The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamhung is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in North Korea. Originally erected as the Apostolic Vicariate of Wonsan in 1920, the name has been changed twice, once to Kankoensis o Hameungensis in 1940, and finally, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Hamhung in 1950. Like the

Diocese of Pyongyang The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pyongyang is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in North Korea. Its only official bishop, Francis Hong Yong-ho, was imprisoned by the government of the North Korea led by Kim Il-sung in 1949 and ...

, the Vicariate was elevated to a full diocese in 1962. The diocese is a suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Seoul The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Seoul (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Metropolitae Seulensis'', ko, 서울대교구) is a Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church comprising the metropolitan area of Seoul, So ...

Persecutions

In 1949, 166 priests and religious were martyred in the Communist revolution of Kim Il-sung. This left the diocese bereft of priests. Bishop

Boniface Sauer Abbot Boniface Sauer, O.S.B. (10 January 1877 – 7 February 1950) was a Benedictine monk and Roman Catholic bishop who served as apostolic administrator of Hamheung, Korea and Abbot of Tokugen o Tokwon. Biography Boniface Sauer was born Oberu ...

, the abbot of Tokwon Abbey, had died in 1950, and no bishop had been re-appointed to the diocese. Finally, in 1962, Timotheus (Franz Xaver) Bitterli, was appointed in absentia as the bishop of the diocese, and was the apostolic administrator for 20 years until his resignation in 1981. Since then, the diocese has remained vacant, and it will likely remain so as long as the persecution of Christians in North Korea continues.

Ordinaries

Vicars Apostolic of Hamheung

*Bonifatius Sauer, OSB (1920-1950) *Timotheus Bitterli, OSB (1950–1962; apostolic administrator)

Bishops of Hamhung

*Timotheus Bitterli, OSB (1962–1981; apostolic administrator) *Abbot Placidus Lee Dong-ho (1981–2005; apostolic administrator) * John Chang Yik (2005–2010; apostolic administrator) * Luke Kim Woon-hoe (2010–2020; apostolic administrator) * Simon Kim Ju-young (2020–present; apostolic administrator)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamhung, Roman Catholic Diocese of Roman Catholic dioceses in North Korea Christian organizations established in 1920

Hamhung Hamhŭng (''Hamhŭng-si''; ) is North Korea's second-largest List of cities in North Korea, city, and the capital of South Hamgyong, South Hamgyŏng Province. It has an estimated population of 768,551. Located in the southern part of the South Ham ...