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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing

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Ecclesiastical province
  
Chongqing

Rite
  
Latin Rite

Pope
  
Francis

Area
  
350,000 km²

Denomination
  
Roman Catholic

Cathedral
  
St Joseph's Cathedral

Address
  
China, 重庆市渝中区民生路

Country
  
China

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing

Population - Total - Catholics
  
(as of 1950) 11,500,000 37,608 (0.3%)

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Chongqing (Chungking) (Latin: Ciomchimen(sis), Chinese: 重慶) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese located in southwestern PR China, yet still depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Contents

Its archiepiscopal see in the Cathedral of St. Joseph, in the mega-city Chongqing, not assigned to any administrative province.

No statistics available. It is vacant since 2003, without Apostolic administrator.

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 .

Ecclesiastical province

Its Suffragan sees are :

  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu (成都)
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Jiading (嘉定)
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Kangding (康定)
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningyuan (寧遠)
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Shunqing (順慶)
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Suifu (敘府)
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Wanxian ( 萬縣), its daughter

    • History

  • Established on April 2, 1856 as Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Szechwan, on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Szechwan (Sichuan), 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 Right Rev. Mgr Desflèches (1844–87), titular bishop of Sinitis, was elected first Apostolic vicar. Missionaries and Christians 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 vicariates Apostolic: 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 was elected coadjutor in 1882, and in 1888 succeeded Bishop Desflèches, who was 'promoted' Titular Archbishop of Claudiopolis in Honoriade. 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 Dansars, succeeded Bishop Coupat. In 1898 Fr. Fleury was captured by Yu-man-tse and held prisoner for months.
  • Renamed on December 3, 1924 after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Chongqing (Chungking).
  • Lost territory on 1929.08.02 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Wanxian 萬縣, now its suffragan
  • Promoted on April 11, 1946 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Chongqing.

    • Episcopal Ordinaries

    (all Roman rite, so far members of a Latin missionary congregation)

    Apostolic Vicars of Eastern Szechwan 四川東境
  • Eugène-Jean-Claude-Joseph Desflèches, Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris (M.E.P.) (born France) (April 2, 1856 – retired February 20, 1883); previously Titular Bishop of Sinita (1842.05.29 – 1883.02.20) as Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Szechwan 四川 (China) (1844 – 1856.04.02); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Claudiopolis (1883.02.20 – death 1887.11.07).
  • Eugène-Paul Coupat, M.E.P. (born France) (February 20, 1883 – January 26, 1890), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Szechwan 四川東境 (China) (1882.08.28 – death 1883.02.20) and Titular Bishop of Thagaste (1882.08.28 – succession 1890.01.26)
  • Father Laurent Blettery, M.E.P. (born France) (1890.09.02 – 1891.08.17 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) (September 25, 1891 – death May 11, 1924), Titular Bishop of Dausara (1891.09.25 – 1924.05.11)
    • Apostolic Vicar of Chongqing 重慶
  • Louis-Gabriel-Xavier Jantzen, M.E.P. (last incumbent born in France) (February 16, 1925 – April 11, 1946 see below""), Titular Bishop of Tremithus (1926.02.16 – 1946.04.11)
    • Metropolitan Archbishops of Chongqing 重慶
  • Louis-Gabriel-Xavier Jantzen, M.E.P. (see above April 11, 1946 – retired October 24, 1950), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Phasis (1950.10.24 – death 1953.08.28)
  • 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

    Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA