East Asia

This blog covers Japan, Kazakhstan, North and South Korea, and Taiwan.

Japan

Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian missionaries came to Japan starting in 1547—the most prominent of these missionaries was St. Francis Xavier.  Within 30 years, there were perhaps as many as 200,000 Japanese Catholics, mostly in southern Japan.  At the end of the 16^th Century, the Japanese government saw Catholics as a threat to national unity and persecutions began.  In 1597, 26 Catholics (known as Sts. Paul Miki and his Companions) were crucified by the Japanese and 55 Catholics were martyred in Nagasaki in 1632.  Christianity was banned in Japan in 1614 (when there were about 400,000 Catholics) and by the middle of the century, all European missionaries were deported and all Japanese Christians were ordered to be executed or deported—4,000 were martyred.  Some Catholics remained and practiced their Faith secretly.  Missionaries returned in the 1850s after Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy convinced the Japanese to open the nation to foreigners, although the ban against Christians was not technically lifted until 1873.

Japan has 126 million people and almost all are either Shinto, Buddhist, or both.  Catholics number just over half a million.  Japan has three Catholic provinces—Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Osaka.  Anglican Rite Catholics in Japan are under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Australia.

Province of Tokyo

The province consists of the northern half of Japan.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tokyo was established in 1891.  The Cathedral of Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Tokyo was built in 1964 to replace a wooden cathedral destroyed during the Second World War.  The modern building was designed by Kenzo Tange and somewhat resembles St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco.  The Cathedral is clad in stainless steel and has a 200-foot bell tower.  See Tokyo.catholic.jp/English/archdiocese.  

The first picture is from the Archdiocesan website and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Sendai was established as the Diocese of Hakodate in 1891.  It acquired its current name in 1936.
• The Diocese of Yokohama was originally established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Japan in 1846 and was renamed as the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Japan in 1876.  It was suppressed in 1891 before being restored as the Diocese of Yokohama in 1937.
• The Diocese of Sapporo was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1915.  It became an apostolic vicariate in 1929 and a diocese in 1952.
• The Diocese of Saitama was created as the Apostolic Prefecture of Urawa in 1939 and became the Diocese of Urawa in 1957.  It acquired its current name in 2003.
• The Diocese of Niigata began as an apostolic prefecture in 1912 before being promoted to a diocese in 1962. 

Province of Nagasaki

The province consists of southern Japan.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nagasaki began as the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Japan in 1876 and became a diocese in 1891.  It was raised to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1959. 

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Nagasaki was built in 1959 to replace the original cathedral destroyed when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki in 1945.  The church was only 1600 feet from the detonation site and Mass was being celebrated at the time of the detonation.

From Wikipedia.

The Co-Cathedral and Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki is thought to be the oldest church in Japan.  The original 1864 wooden church was replaced in 1879 by the current Gothic white stucco brick church.  The stained glass windows are from France.  The church was damaged during the 1945 atomic bomb detonation.  Pope Francis declared the church to be a minor basilica in 2016.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Fukuoka was created in 1927.
• The Diocese of Kagoshima was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1927 and became a diocese in 1955.
• The Diocese of Oita was established as the Diocese of Funai in 1588 before being suppressed around 1660.  It was restored as the Mission sui juris of Miyazaki in 1927, before becoming an apostolic prefecture in 1935.  It became the Diocese of Oita in 1961.
• The Diocese of Naha was established as the Apostolic Administration of Okinawa and the Southern Islands/Ryukyu Islands in 1947 before becoming the Diocese of Naha in 1972. 

Province of Osaka-Takamatsu

The province consists of central Japan.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Osaka-Takamatsu began as the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Japan in 1888, became a diocese in 1891, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1969.  The Diocese of Takamatsu was merged with the Archdiocese in 2023.  The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is in Osaka.

The first picture is from Inspirock and the others are from TripAdvisor.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Kyoto was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1937 and became a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Hiroshima was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1923 and became a diocese in 1959.
• The Diocese of Nagoya was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1922 and became a diocese in 1962. 

Kazakhstan

Catholics came to what is now Kazakhstan in the 2^nd Century, but it was not until after the Second World War that the Soviet Union—Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936—sent large numbers of Poles, Germans, and other Eastern Europeans, many of whom were Catholic, to concentration camps in Kazakhstan.  Two churches were established in the late 1960s, but the Church was not fully established until after the fall of communism in 1991.

Kazakhstan’s population of 19 million is about 90 percent Muslim or Russian Orthodox.  Estimates of the number of Catholics, mostly descendants of the Poles, Germans, and Eastern Europeans deported there by the Soviets, range from 110,000 to 250,000.  Kazakhstan has one Catholic province—Nur Sultan (formerly known as Astana).  An apostolic administration for Byzantine-rite Catholics was established in 2019 to serve Byzantine-rite Catholics in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Province of Nur-Sultan

The province consists of the nation of Kazakhstan.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Most Holy Mary in Nur-Sultan began as a diocese in 1999 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2003.  Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Astana was built between 1995 and 1997.

From Flickr.

The Province has three suffragan jurisdictions.

• The Diocese of Karaganda was established as an apostolic administration in 1991 and became a diocese in 1999.
• The Diocese of the Most Holy Trinity in Almaty was established as an apostolic administration in 1999 and became a diocese in 2003.
• The Apostolic Administration of Atyrau was established in 1999. 

South Korea and North Korea

There is a possibility that a Spanish Jesuit priest brought the Catholic Faith to Korea in 1593, but the only evidence is that there were Catholic Koreans in the late 16^th Century.  A Korean lay person converted to Catholicism in China in 1784 and he baptized several of his family members and friends.  French missionaries came to Korea in 1836, but the Korean government persecuted Catholics throughout most of the 19^th Century.  Pope John Paul II canonized 103 Korean martyrs who were killed during this time.  Religious freedom was granted in 1883 and there were 77,000 Catholics by 1911.  Rapid growth occurred after the Second World War.

South Korea has 51 million people and most confess no religion.  About 20 percent of South Koreans are Protestant.  Catholics number about 5.4 million.  North Korea has 25 million people and religion there is officially non-existent, except for government sponsored “religious” groups.  There might be a few thousand Catholics in North Korea.

South and North Korea are divided into three Catholic provinces—Seoul, Daegu, and Gwangju.  In addition, South Korea has a military diocese that was established in 1989.

The Territorial Abbacy of St. Benedict was in Tokwon, North Korea.  German Benedictines established the abbey in the 1920s.  The area was occupied by the Soviet Army during the Second World War, but Soviets withdrew in 1949.  At that time there were 60 monks—25 of whom were Korean—and 20 nuns in a separate congregation.  Quickly after the Soviet troops left, the North Korean secret police imprisoned all of the monks and nuns.  About half of the monks and nuns, including the abbot, were executed or died between 1949 and 1952.  The survivors were sent to Germany in 1954.  The 36 martyrs are being considered for canonization.

Province of Seoul

The province consists of northern South Korea and all of North Korea.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Seoul began as an apostolic vicariate in 1831 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1962.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is in Seoul.  It was designed by French missionaries in a Gothic style.  The Cathedral was built in the 1890s of red and gray bricks and has a clock tower that is 150 feet high.  The interior has many religious works of art.  Relics of nine of the Korean Martyrs, killed during an 1866 persecution of the Church, are contained in a crypt beneath the main altar.

The first picture is from The Seoul Guide and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has eight suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Hamhung, North Korea, was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1920 and became a diocese in 1962.  It is administered by the Bishop of Chuncheon.
• The Diocese of Pyong-yang, North Korea, was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1927 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1939.  It was promoted to a diocese in 1962.  It is administered by the Archbishop of Seoul.
• The Diocese of Chuncheon, South Korea, was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1939 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1955.  It was promoted to a diocese in 1962.  The Diocese includes territory in both South and North Korea.
• The Diocese of Daejeon, South Korea, was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1958 and was raised to a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Incheon, South Korea, was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1961, and became a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Suwon, South Korea, was created in 1963.
• The Diocese of Wonju, South Korea, was established in 1965.
• The Diocese of Uijeongbu, South Korea, was established in 2004. 

Province of Daegu

The province consists of southeastern South Korea.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Daegu began as an apostolic vicariate in 1911 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1962.  The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Daegu was built between 1902 and 1903 using Romanesque and Gothic styles.    

From Wikipedia.

The Co-Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi is also in Daegu and was completed in 2016.  Pictures of this cathedral can be found at www.studiointune.com/beomeo.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Busan was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1957 and became a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Cheongju was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1958 and became a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Masan was established in 1966.
• The Diocese of Andong was created in 1969. 

Province of Gwangju

The province consists of southwestern South Korea.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gwangju began as an apostolic prefecture in 1937, became an apostolic vicariate in 1957, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1962.  The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Gwangju. (I could find no pictures on the internet.)

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Jeonju was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1937, became an apostolic vicariate in 1957, and was promoted to a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Jeju was created in 1971 as an apostolic prefecture before becoming a diocese in 1977.

Taiwan

Successful evangelization of the Taiwanese did not occur until the late 19^th Century, when Spanish Dominicans began working in the southern part of the island nation.  Their efforts were limited by the Japanese who occupied the island from 1895 until the end of the Second World War.  After Communists took control of China in 1949, many Chinese, some of whom were Catholic, fled to Taiwan.

Over three-quarters of Taiwan’s 24 million people follow various eastern religions.  There are about 230,000 Catholics.  Taiwan has one Catholic province—Taipei.

Province of Taipei

The province consists of Taiwan.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Taipei was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1949 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1952.  The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Taipei City was built between 1959 and 1961 to replace a building destroyed during the Second World War.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Kaohsiung was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1913 and became a diocese in 1961.
• The Diocese of Hsinchu was created in 1961.
• The Diocese of Tainan was established 1961.
• The Diocese of Taichung was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1951 and became a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Chiayi was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1952 and became a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Hualien was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1952 and became a diocese in 1963. 

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures.  Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  A territorial abbacy is a territory subject to the abbot of a local monastery, who acts as the bishop for that region. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell.  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.

Oceania—2

This blog covers Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and other Pacific islands.  Note:  see my blog of June 27, 2018 for Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

Fiji

Fiji gained independence in 1970 after a century of British rule.  Catholic missionaries came to Fiji in 1844 and today there are 85,000 Catholics, or 8 percent of the total population.  About two-thirds of the people in Fiji are Christian and 28 percent are Hindu.

Province of Suva

The Province of Suva serves Catholics in Fiji (the Archdiocese of Suva), as well as Kiribati, Naura, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tuvalu.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Fiji Island was established in 1863 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Fiji Island in 1887.  It was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Suva in 1966.

The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Suva was completed in 1902.  It was designed to resemble churches in Rome and is constructed with Australian sandstone.  See shcsuva.org.

Pictures are from TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Tarawa and Naura (which serves Kiribati and Naura) was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Gilbert Islands in 1897 and became the Diocese of Tarawa in 1966.  It acquired its current name in 1982.  Kiribati (which includes the island of Tarawa) is a former British colony that became independent in 1979.  French missionaries brought Catholicism to Kiribati in the late 1800s.  Today 60,000 of the nation’s 110,000 people are Catholic (and most of the rest are Protestant).  Naura is a former German colony that gained independence in 1968.  Naura has a population of 14,000, 5,000 of whom are Catholic.  Most of the people are Protestant.
• The Diocese of Rarotonga (which serves the Cook Islands and Niue) began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Cook and Mnihiki in 1922 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Cook Islands in 1948.  It was promoted as the Diocese of Rarotonga in 1966.  The Cook Islands were once a British protectorate that chose self-government in free association with New Zealand in 1965.  Most of its 9,000 people are Protestant.  There are about 1,000 Catholics.  Niue is administered by New Zealand.  Most of Niue’s 1,600 people are Protestant, 10 percent are Catholic.
• The Mission sui juris of Funafuti (Tuvalu) was established in 1982.  Tuvalu gained independence from the British in 1978.  Over 90 percent of Tuvalu’s 11,000 people are Protestant—mostly Congregationalists.  There are about 1,000 Catholics.

Samoa

Samoa had been a German territory before the First World War, at which time New Zealand took control until granting independence in 1962.  Catholic missionary work began in 1845 and today Samoa has 40,000 Catholics or 20 percent of the total population.  Most Samoans are Protestant.  

Province of Samoa-Apia

The Province of Samoa-Apia serves Catholics in Samoa (the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia), American Samoa (Diocese of Samoa—Pago Pago), and Tokelau (the Mission sui juris of Tokelau).  The Apostolic Vicariate of the Archipelago of the Navigators was established in 1850, which became the Diocese of Apia in 1966.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia and Tokelau was established in 1982 and acquired its current name in 1992.   

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Apia was built in 1857, but was heavily damaged in a 2009 earthquake.  The Cathedral was restored and enlarged—from a seating capacity of 400 to 2000.  The rebuilt cathedral opened in 2014.  Among the Cathedral’s features are stained glass windows depicting Samoan themes, a wooden ceiling based on the design of traditional Samoan mats, and a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles in traditional Samoan dress.

Pictures are from Flickr, TripAdvisor, and Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Samoa—Pago Pago (American Samoa) was established in 1982.
• The Mission sui juris of Tokelau (Tokelau) was established in 1992.  Tokelau was once a British protectorate that came under the administration of New Zealand in 1925.  About 60 percent of Tokelau’s 1,300 people are Protestant and the rest are Catholic.

Solomon Islands

The British claimed the Solomon Islands in the 1890s and it was about this time that Marist missionaries came to the islands.  The Solomons became independent in 1978.  The Solomon Islands have 120,000 Catholics or 20 percent of the total population.  Most of the people are Protestant.  

Province of Honiara

The Province consists of the Solomon Islands.  The Apostolic Prefecture of the British Solomon Islands was created in 1897 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of the Southern Solomon Islands in 1912.  This became the Diocese of Honiara in 1966 and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Honiara in 1978.  Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara opened in 1957 in a Quonset hut from the Second World War.  Construction of the current Cathedral was completed in 1977.  The Cathedral has a Facebook page.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Gizo was established in 1959 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Solomon Islands and became the Diocese of Gizo in 1966.
• The Diocese of Auki was established in 1982.

French Polynesia

French Polynesia has been a territory of France since the 19^th Century.  Catholics number about 80,000 or 30 percent of the total population.  A slight majority of the people are Protestant.  

Province of Papeete

The province consists of French Polynesia.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Tahiti was created in 1848 and was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Papeete in 1966.  The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Notre Dame) in Papeete opened in 1875.  It is an example of early colonial architecture and has a single steeple.  The interior features a locally wood-carved Madonna and Child with Jesus holding a breadfruit.  The Stations of the Cross incorporate both Tahitian and Roman cultures.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has one suffragan diocese.

• The Apostolic Vicariate of Marquesas Islands was established in 1848 and became the Diocese of Taiohae in 1966.  It was renamed the Diocese of Taiohae and Tefenuaenata in 1974.

New Caledonia

Both the British and the French colonized New Caledonia in the early 1800s, but the French took control in 1853.  It served as a French penal colony for decades and it remains a French territory.  New Caledonia has 85,000 Catholics or about 30 percent of the total.  Protestants account for 60 percent of the total.

Province of Noumea

The Province consists of New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Wallis et Futuna.  The Apostolic Vicariate of New Caledonia was established in 1847 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Noumea in 1966.  

The Cathedral of St. Joseph in Noumea was built by convict labor between 1887 and 1897.  The two towers and the area around the doors and windows are made of dressed stone and the rest of the structure is made of rubble masonry.  The Cathedral has 28 stained glass windows and several furnishings made of tamanu wood.  The holy water fonts are made from the shells of giant clams.  The Cathedral has a Facebook page.

Pictures are from Panaramio, TripAdvisor, and Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Apostolic Prefecture of New Hebrides was established in 1901 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1904.  The Diocese of Port-Villa was established in 1966.  Europeans came to the New Hebrides in the 18^th Century and Catholic missionaries arrived in 1887.  The British and the French jointly ruled the New Hebrides starting in 1906.  The New Hebrides gained independence in 1980 and took the name Vanuatu.  There are 30,000 Catholics in Vanuatu or about 12 percent of the total population.  About 70 percent of the people are Protestants—mostly Presbyterian and Anglican.
• The Apostolic Vicariate of Wallis et Futuna was created in 1935 and became a diocese in 1966.  Prior to 1800, both the Dutch and British explored this area, but in 1842 the French made Wallis et Futuna a colony and it remains a French overseas territory.  Almost all of the territory’s 16,000 people are Catholic.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures.  Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  There is also a jurisdiction called a mission sui juris.  A mission sui juris may be part of a province and is often administered by a bishop of another diocese.