China
Christianity—in the form of Nestorianism—came to China in 635. John of Montecorvino, an Italian Franciscan came to what is now Beijing in 1294 and built a church and soon built a second. John also translated the New Testament and the Psalms into the local language and started making converts—possible as many as 30,000. John was made an archbishop in 1307 and the Pope sent more bishops in 1312. The Church was banned in China later in the 14th Century until 1582 when the Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci came to what is now Beijing. Dominicans soon followed, but all Christians were banned again by the Chinese in 1715. The ban lasted until the 19th Century when the European powers occupied large parts of China and Catholic missionaries returned and Protestant missionaries came for the first time.
Christianity survived despite the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) when the Chinese rose up against the Europeans and killed 30,000 Christians. After the Second World War, Pope Pius XII reestablished a hierarchy to serve four million Chinese Catholics and made the Archbishop of Beijing, a Cardinal. The Communists took control of China in 1949 and foreign missionaries were arrested or sent back to their home countries. In 1957, the Communists established the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which is controlled by the Chinese government and rejects the authority of the Pope. (A similar organization was organized for Protestants.) Catholics who opposed this were severely punished. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), many churches were looted and destroyed and many Christians were killed or imprisoned. Relations between the Chinese government and the Vatican have improved somewhat since an agreement in 2018, but there remain several areas of tension. The agreement, portions of which have not been publically revealed, has been controversial.
China has 1.4 billion people and most practice Chinese folk religions or do not have a religion at all. About 18 percent are Buddhists. Estimates of the number of Christians varies between 2.5 and 5 percent, with 85 percent being Protestant. Catholics likely number between 10-12 million, although estimates are as low as 5 million and as high as 30 million. The breakdown between Catholics faithful to the Pope and those belonging to the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association is difficult to determine, but is probably equally split.
This blog covers 20 ecclesiastical Roman-rite provinces in China plus other jurisdictions that are immediately subject to the Pope.
Most metropolitan archdioceses and dioceses in China started as apostolic vicariates. Most became metropolitan archdioceses and dioceses on the same day—April 11, 1946. The dates given for dioceses below are the year it became an apostolic vicariate and the year it became a diocese, unless otherwise noted. Some began as apostolic prefectures, but I will not usually note this. Information on the Church in China is not always reliable as shown by the fact that my two main sources for diocesan information—gcatholic.org and catholic-hierarchy.org—do not always agree on the status of bishops.
Province of Anqing
The province consists of the civil province of Anhui. The Apostolic Vicariate of Anqing was established in 1929 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1946. The last Archbishop of Anqing died in 2005 and has not been replaced. The Cathedral of St. Thomas is in Hefei.
The Province has two suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Bengbu (1929 and 1946), vacant since 2001.
• The Diocese of Wuhu (1921 and 1946), there is a bishop, but without a papal mandate.
Province of Beijing
The province consists of the Beijing Municipality, the Tianjin Municipality, and part of the Hebei Province. The Archdiocese of what is now Beijing was established in 1307, but suppressed in 1375. It became a diocese in 1690, but demoted to an apostolic vicariate in 1856. It became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1946. There is an archbishop.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral is in Beijing. The first church on this site was built in 1605 by an Italian Jesuit and became a cathedral in 1690. The third church was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The current Baroque Cathedral dates to 1904. There is a large painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary behind the main altar. Masses are celebrated in several languages for the 5,000 parishioners.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
The Province has 13 suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Anguo (1929 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Baoding (1910 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Chengde (diocese in 2018), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
• The Diocese of Daming (apostolic prefecture in 1935 and diocese in 1947), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Jingxian (apostolic prefecture in 1939 and diocese in 1947), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shunde (1944 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Tianjin (1912 and 1946), there is a 90+ year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Xianxian (1856 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Xuanhua (1926 and 1946), there is a 90-year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Yongnian (1933 and 1946), vacant since 2007.
• The Diocese of Yongping (1899 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Zhaoxian (1932 and 1946), vacant since 2008.
• The Diocese of Zhengding (1856 and 1946), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
Province of Changsha
The province consists of Hunan Province. The Apostolic Vicariate of Hunan was established in 1838 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Changsha was established in 1946. There is an archbishop.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Changsha was originally built in 1902 by an Italian Franciscan. This church was destroyed in 1910 during a revolt and rebuilt in 1911.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has three suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Changde (1879 and 1946), vacant since 1995.
• The Diocese of Hengzhou (1930 and 1946), vacant since 1977.
• The Diocese of Yuanling (1934 and 1946), vacant since 1968.
Province of Chongqing
The province consists of the civil provinces of Chongqing, Sichuan, and Tibet. The Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Szechwan was established in 1856 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Chongqing in 1946. There has not been an archbishop since 2001.
The Cathedral of St. Joseph in Chongqing was built by French missionaries in 1893. It has a square clock tower and can accommodate 1,000 worshipers.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Chengdu (1696 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Jiading (1933 and 1946), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
• The Diocese of Kangding (1846 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Ningyuan (1910 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shunqing (1929 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Suifu (1860 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Wanxian (1929 and 1946), there is a bishop.
Province of Fuzhou
The province consists of the civil province of Fujian. The Apostolic Vicariate of Fujian was established in 1680 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese Fuzhou in 1946. There is an 85-year old archbishop.
The Cathedral of St. Dominic in Fuzhou was built in 1911, but substantially remodeled in 1932. The interior covers almost 15,000 square feet and 2,000 people can worship at one time. The Cathedral was closed between 1966 and 1985 due to the Cultural Revolution.
Pictures from Wikipedia.
The Province has three suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Changting (apostolic prefecture in 1923 and diocese in 1947), vacant since 1963.
• The Diocese of Funing (1923 and 1946), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
• The Diocese of Xiamen (1883 and 1946), there is a bishop.
Province of Guangzhou
The province consists of the civil province of Guangdong, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, and Hainan. The Vicariate Apostolic of Guangdong-Guangxi was established in 1848 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese Guangzhou in 1946. There is an archbishop.
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Guangzhou was built by the French in a Gothic Revival style between 1861 and 1888. Construction was difficult because the Cathedral is made entirely of granite and the builders lacked proper machinery. The builders used a mixture of glutinous rice as an agglutinant. Covering 31,000 square feet, Sacred Heart is the largest Gothic cathedral in China. Its two towers—one a bell tower and the other a clock tower—are 175 feet tall. The bell tower has four bronze bells made in France. The Cathedral has three large rose windows 23 feet in diameter made of red, blue, violet, and yellow glass. Other windows display Biblical stories. The Cathedral’s original stained glass windows were damaged by wars and during the Cultural Revolution, but were replaced by a Philippine company. The Cathedral has weekend masses in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and English.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
The Province has six suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Beihai (1920 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Hong Kong—see my blog of January 24, 2020.
• The Diocese of Jiangmen (1927 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Jiaying (1935 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shantou (1914 and 1946), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
• The Diocese of Shaoguan (1920 and 1946), vacant since 1962.
Province of Guiyang
The province consists of the civil province of Guizhou. The Apostolic Vicariate of Kweichow was established in 1696, suppressed in 1715, and restored in 1846. It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Guiyang in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of St. Joseph is in Guiyang.
The Province has one suffragan diocese.
• The Diocese of Nanlong (1927 and 1946), vacant since 1952.
Province of Hangzhou
The province consists of the civil province of Zhejiang. The Apostolic Vicariate of Western Chekiang was established in 1910 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Hangzhou in 1946. There is a 93-year old archbishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hangzhou was built in a Romanesque style in 1661 by the Italian Jesuit Martino Martini. It has been damaged and repaired several times over the last four centuries.
The first two pictures are from TripAdvisor and the last three are from Wikipedia.
The Province has four suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Linhai (1926 and 1946), vacant since 2016.
• The Diocese of Lishui (1937 and 1948), vacant since 1983.
• The Diocese of Ningbo (1696 and 1946), vacant since 2017.
• The Diocese of Yongjia (Diocese in 1949), there is a bishop.
Province of Hankou
The province consists of the civil province of Hubei. The Apostolic Vicariate of Hupeh and Hunan was established in 1696 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Hankou in 1946. The last archbishop died in 2012 and has not been replaced.
The Cathedral of St. Joseph is in Wuhan. It was built by an Italian missionary in 1876 in a Romanesque style. The brick and wood church has five altars and can hold more than a thousand people. The interior of the main dome is painted white and the suspended ceiling is made of gypsum. The church’s columns feature statues of the saints. The Cathedral was heavily damaged during the Second World War and did not reopen until 1980.
Both pictures are from a Chinese government tourism website.
The Province has eight suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Hanyang (1927 and 1946), vacant since 2005.
• The Diocese of Laohekou (1870 and 1946), vacant since 1966.
• The Diocese of Puqi (apostolic prefecture in 1923 and diocese in 1951), vacant since 2017.
• The Diocese of Qichun (1936 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
• The Diocese of Shinan (1938 and 1946), vacant since 1942.
• The Diocese of Wuchang (1930 and 1946), vacant since 1973.
• The Diocese of Xiangyang (apostolic prefecture in 1936 and diocese in 1951), vacant since 1974.
• The Diocese of Yichang (1870 and 1946), vacant since 2011.
Province of Jinan
The province consists of the civil province of Shandong. The Apostolic Vicariate of Shantung was established in 1839 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Jinan in 1946. There is an archbishop.
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is in Jinan. The Gothic Revival church was built between 1901 and 1906 and seats 800. It has two towers and was built to resemble Notre Dame in Paris. It was designed by an Italian Franciscan and almost one thousand stone masons were used in the construction. The Cathedral was closed between 1966 and 1985 due to the Cultural Revolution.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Caozhou (1934 and 1946), vacant since 2004.
• The Diocese of Qingdao (1928 and 1946), vacant since 2018.
• The Diocese of Yanggu (1939 and 1946), there is an 86-year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Yantai (1894 and 1946), vacant since 1975.
• The Diocese of Yanzhou (1885 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Yizhou (1937 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Zhoucun (1937 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Weifang (2024), formerly the Apostolic Prefecture of Yiduxian, there is a bishop.
The province consists of the civil province of Henan. The Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Honan was established in 1916 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaifeng in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Kaifeng.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Jixian (1882 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Luoyang (1935 and 1946), vacant since 2011.
• The Diocese of Nanyang (1882 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shangqui (1937 and 1946), vacant since 2009.
• The Diocese of Xinyang (1933 and 1946), vacant since 1953.
• The Diocese of Zhengzhou (1911 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
• The Diocese of Zhumadian (1944 and 1946), there is a bishop.
The province consists of the civil province of Yunnan. The Apostolic Vicariate of Guangdong-Guangxi-Yunnan was established in 1687 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kunming in 1946. There is an archbishop, but he does not have a papal mandate. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Kunming.
The Province has one suffragan diocese.
• The Diocese of Dali (1931 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
The province consists of the civil province of Gansu. The Apostolic Vicariate of Gansu was established in 1878 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lanzhou in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is in Lanzhou.
The Province has two suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Pingliang (apostolic prefecture in 1930 and diocese in 1950), there is an 81-year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Qinzhou (1905 and 1946), there is a bishop.
The province consists of the civil province of Jiangxi. The Apostolic Vicariate of Kiangsi was established in 1696 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nanchang in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Nanchang was built in 1922.
Picture from mapio.
The Province has four suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Ganzhou (1920 and 1946), vacant since 1990.
• The Diocese of Ji’an (1879 and 1946), vacant since 1973.
• The Diocese of Nancheng (1938 and 1946), vacant since 1966.
• The Diocese of Yujiang (1885 and 1946), there is a bishop.
The province consists of the civil province of Jiangsu and Shanghai Municipality. The Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing (Nanking) was established in 1660 and became a diocese in 1690. It was demoted to an apostolic vicariate in 1856 before becoming a metropolitan archdiocese in 1946. There has not been an archbishop since 2005.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is in Nanjing. It was built in 1870 in a Romanesque style by a French Jesuit, sustained damage during a civil war, and was rebuilt in 1928. It was closed during the Cultural Revolution and today is the only Catholic church in Nanjing. See nanjingcatholicchurch.weebly.com.
The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.
The Province has four suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Haimen (1926 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shanghai (1933 and 1946), there may be a bishop, but without a papal mandate.
• The Diocese of Suzhou (diocese in 1949), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Xuzhou (1935 and 1946), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
The province consists of the civil province of Guangxi. The Apostolic Prefecture of Guangxi was established in 1875 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1914. It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nanning in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of Our Lady of China is in Nanning.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has one suffragan diocese.
• The Diocese of Wuzhou (1939 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
The province consists of the civil provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and part of the Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia) Autonomous Region. The Apostolic Vicariate of Liaotung was established in 1838 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shenyang in 1946. There is an archbishop.
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Shenyang was originally constructed in 1838, but was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. The current church was built by the French shortly thereafter.
The first picture is from dreamstime and the others are from Wikipedia.
The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Chifeng (1932 and 1949), vacant since 2006.
• The Diocese of Fushun (1940 and 1946), vacant since 1946.
• The Diocese of Jilin (1898 and 1946), vacant since 2009.
• The Diocese of Rehe (1883 and 1946), vacant since 1988.
• The Diocese of Siping (1932 and 1946), vacant since 1985.
• The Diocese of Yanji (1937 and 1946), vacant since 1985.
• The Diocese of Yingkou (diocese in 1949), vacant since 1983.
The province consists of the civil Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, part of the Neimenggu Autonomous Region, and part of the province of Hebei. The Apostolic Vicariate of Southwestern Mongolia was established in 1883 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Suiyuan in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Hohhot, Neimenggu.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has three suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Jining (1929 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Ningxia (1922 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Xiwanzi (1840 and 1946), vacant since 2011.
The province consists of the civil province of Shanxi. The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Shansi was established in 1890 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Taiyuan in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Taiyuan was built in 1870.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has six suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Datong (1932 and 1946), vacant at least since 2005.
• The Diocese of Fenyang (1926 and 1946), there is a 94-year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Hongdong (apostolic prefecture in 1932, diocese in 1950), vacant since 2006.
• The Diocese of Lu’an (1696 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shuoxian (1932 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Yuci (1944 and 1946), vacant since 2014.
The province consists of the civil province of Shaanxi. The Apostolic Vicariate of Central Shensi was established in 1911 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Xi’an in 1946. There is an archbishop.
St. Francis Cathedral in Xi’an was built in 1716 and expanded in 1884. It was closed from 1966 to 1980 during the Cultural Revolution. The Cathedral operates a soup kitchen for the homeless, which when it opened in 2005, was the first in China.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has five suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Fengxiang (1942 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Hanzhong (1887 and 1946), there is a 88-year old bishop and a much younger coadjutor bishop.
• The Diocese of Sanyuan (1944 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Yan’an (1696 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Zhouzhi (apostolic prefecture in 1932, diocese in 1951), there is a bishop.
In addition to the provinces, there are other jurisdictions. There is the Roman-rite Apostolic Administration in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. It was established in 1931 and is immediately subject to the Pope. There is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Harbin was originally built in the first half of the 20th Century. It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in 2004.
Picture from Wikipedia.
There is a Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate also in Harbin. It was established in 1928 and is immediately subject to the Pope. It has not had a bishop since 1953 and it is not known how many Russian-rite Catholics remain in China.
There are also 28 apostolic prefectures located all over China that are not part of any ecclesiastic province and are immediately subject to the Pope. For each prefecture, I will show the civil province in which it is located, the date the prefecture was established, and the status of the bishop/apostolic prefect.
Baoqing—Hunan, 1938, vacant since 1963.
Guilin—Guangxi, 1938, vacant since 2007.
Hainan—Hainan, 1936, vacant since 1980.
Haizhou—Guangxi, 1949, vacant since 1983.
Jiamusi—Heilongjiang, 1940, vacant since 1997.
Jian’ou—Fujian, 1938, vacant since 1953.
Lindong—Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), 1937, there is a bishop.
Linqing—Shandong, 1931, vacant since 1981.
Lixian—Hunan, 1931, vacant since 1995.
Qiqihar—Heilongjiang, 1931, there is a bishop.
Shaowu—Fujian, 1938, vacant since 1964.
Shashi—Hubei, 1936, vacant since 1961.
Shiquin—Guizhou, 1937, vacant since 2011.
Suixian—Hubei, 1937, vacant since 1981.
Tongzhou—Shaanxi, 1935, there is a bishop.
Tunxi—Anhui, 1937, vacant since 1954.
Weihai—Shandong, 1938, vacant since 1970.
Xiangtan—Hunan, 1937, vacant since 1965.
Xing’anfu, Shaanxi, 1928, there is an 89-year old bishop.
Xining—Qinghai, 1937, there is an 83-year old bishop.
Xinjiang—Shaanxi, 1936, there is a bishop.
Xinjiang—Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 1938, vacant since 2017.
Xinxiang—Henan, 1936, there is a bishop.
Yangzhou—Jiangsu, 1949, vacant since 1983.
Yixian—Hebei, 1935, vacant since 2015.
Yongzhou—Hunan, 1925, vacant since 1973.
Yueyang—Hunan, 1931, vacant since 1997.
Zhaotong—Yunnan, 1935, vacant since 1997.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Diocese of Tianjin in the Province of Beijing. It was built in between 1913 and 1916 when Tianjin was controlled by France. The Romanesque church, which holds 1,500 people, has red and yellow tiled walls with several large paintings with biblical themes. The exterior is made of bricks shipped from France. The Cathedral was heavily damaged during the Cultural Revolution and by a 1976 earthquake, but has been restored. Today, the Cathedral hosts a Chinese parish and an English-speaking parish.
All pictures from Wikipedia
St. Michael’s Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Diocese of Qingdao in the Province of Jinan. It was built by the Divine Word Missionaries between 1931 and 1934 when Qingdao was controlled by Germany. The Romanesque Revival building was badly damaged by the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. It was restored and reopened in 1981. The Cathedral sits on top of a hill and has two 184-foot bell towers. The building materials are concrete and granite. The interior, which covers 30,000 square feet, has white walls with gold piping and several large murals. The mural inside the dome features the Trinity flanked by Our Blessed Mother and St. John the Baptist. The Cathedral’s pipe organ was built by Jager and Brommer in Germany. The Cathedral has Masses in Chinese and Korean.
Both pictures are from Wikipedia.
There are two noteworthy churches in Shanghai in the Province of Nanjing—St. Ignatius Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians—China’s only minor basilica.
St. Ignatius Cathedral was built between 1906 and 1910 in a neo-Gothic style. It was designed by an English architect under the direction of French Jesuits. It can accommodate 2,500 people. The Cathedral was damaged by the Red Guards in 1966 who tore down the spires and broke the 3,200 square feet of stained glass windows. The Cathedral was reopened in 1978 and restoration began soon thereafter. The Cathedral has a sculpture of Holy Mary, Chinese Empress, by a Spanish artist.
Both pictures are from Wikipedia.
The Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, also known as Our Lady of Sheshan, given its location on Sheshan Hill. A church has been at this location since 1863 and has been pilgrimage site since 1874. The current Romanesque church was built by the Jesuits between 1924 and 1935. Pope Pius XII declared it a minor basilica in 1942. The basilica was heavily damaged during the Cultural Revolution, but has been repaired. The exterior is primarily granite and the roof is covered with Chinese-style glazed tiles. The marble altar has gold trim and in-laid jade. The Basilica can seat 3,000. The 125-foot bell tower is topped with a Madonna and Child statue.
The first picture is from Pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.
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 jurisdictions below the level of a diocese. These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures. Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.
Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite. Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage. Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches. Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The Russian-rite Catholic Church has only a few thousand members world-wide. An apostolic exarchate is and Eastern-rite missionary diocese.
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.
Province of Kaifeng
The province consists of the civil province of Henan. The Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Honan was established in 1916 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaifeng in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Kaifeng.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Jixian (1882 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Luoyang (1935 and 1946), vacant since 2011.
• The Diocese of Nanyang (1882 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shangqui (1937 and 1946), vacant since 2009.
• The Diocese of Xinyang (1933 and 1946), vacant since 1953.
• The Diocese of Zhengzhou (1911 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
• The Diocese of Zhumadian (1944 and 1946), there is a bishop.
Province of Kunming
The province consists of the civil province of Yunnan. The Apostolic Vicariate of Guangdong-Guangxi-Yunnan was established in 1687 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kunming in 1946. There is an archbishop, but he does not have a papal mandate. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Kunming.
The Province has one suffragan diocese.
• The Diocese of Dali (1931 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
Province of Lanzhou
The province consists of the civil province of Gansu. The Apostolic Vicariate of Gansu was established in 1878 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lanzhou in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is in Lanzhou.
The Province has two suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Pingliang (apostolic prefecture in 1930 and diocese in 1950), there is an 81-year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Qinzhou (1905 and 1946), there is a bishop.
Province of Nanchang
The province consists of the civil province of Jiangxi. The Apostolic Vicariate of Kiangsi was established in 1696 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nanchang in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Nanchang was built in 1922.
Picture from mapio.
The Province has four suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Ganzhou (1920 and 1946), vacant since 1990.
• The Diocese of Ji’an (1879 and 1946), vacant since 1973.
• The Diocese of Nancheng (1938 and 1946), vacant since 1966.
• The Diocese of Yujiang (1885 and 1946), there is a bishop.
Province of Nanjing
The province consists of the civil province of Jiangsu and Shanghai Municipality. The Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing (Nanking) was established in 1660 and became a diocese in 1690. It was demoted to an apostolic vicariate in 1856 before becoming a metropolitan archdiocese in 1946. There has not been an archbishop since 2005.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is in Nanjing. It was built in 1870 in a Romanesque style by a French Jesuit, sustained damage during a civil war, and was rebuilt in 1928. It was closed during the Cultural Revolution and today is the only Catholic church in Nanjing. See nanjingcatholicchurch.weebly.com.
The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.
The Province has four suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Haimen (1926 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shanghai (1933 and 1946), there may be a bishop, but without a papal mandate.
• The Diocese of Suzhou (diocese in 1949), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Xuzhou (1935 and 1946), there is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate.
Province of Nanning
The province consists of the civil province of Guangxi. The Apostolic Prefecture of Guangxi was established in 1875 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1914. It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nanning in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of Our Lady of China is in Nanning.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has one suffragan diocese.
• The Diocese of Wuzhou (1939 and 1946), vacant since 1983.
Province of Shenyang
The province consists of the civil provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and part of the Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia) Autonomous Region. The Apostolic Vicariate of Liaotung was established in 1838 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shenyang in 1946. There is an archbishop.
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Shenyang was originally constructed in 1838, but was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. The current church was built by the French shortly thereafter.
The first picture is from dreamstime and the others are from Wikipedia.
The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Chifeng (1932 and 1949), vacant since 2006.
• The Diocese of Fushun (1940 and 1946), vacant since 1946.
• The Diocese of Jilin (1898 and 1946), vacant since 2009.
• The Diocese of Rehe (1883 and 1946), vacant since 1988.
• The Diocese of Siping (1932 and 1946), vacant since 1985.
• The Diocese of Yanji (1937 and 1946), vacant since 1985.
• The Diocese of Yingkou (diocese in 1949), vacant since 1983.
Province of Suiyuan
The province consists of the civil Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, part of the Neimenggu Autonomous Region, and part of the province of Hebei. The Apostolic Vicariate of Southwestern Mongolia was established in 1883 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Suiyuan in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is in Hohhot, Neimenggu.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has three suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Jining (1929 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Ningxia (1922 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Xiwanzi (1840 and 1946), vacant since 2011.
Province of Taiyuan
The province consists of the civil province of Shanxi. The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Shansi was established in 1890 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Taiyuan in 1946. There is an archbishop. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Taiyuan was built in 1870.
The Province has six suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Datong (1932 and 1946), vacant at least since 2005.
• The Diocese of Fenyang (1926 and 1946), there is a 94-year old bishop.
• The Diocese of Hongdong (apostolic prefecture in 1932, diocese in 1950), vacant since 2006.
• The Diocese of Lu’an (1696 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Shuoxian (1932 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Yuci (1944 and 1946), vacant since 2014.
Province of Xi’an
The province consists of the civil province of Shaanxi. The Apostolic Vicariate of Central Shensi was established in 1911 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Xi’an in 1946. There is an archbishop.
St. Francis Cathedral in Xi’an was built in 1716 and expanded in 1884. It was closed from 1966 to 1980 during the Cultural Revolution. The Cathedral operates a soup kitchen for the homeless, which when it opened in 2005, was the first in China.
Picture from Wikipedia.
The Province has five suffragan dioceses.
• The Diocese of Fengxiang (1942 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Hanzhong (1887 and 1946), there is a 88-year old bishop and a much younger coadjutor bishop.
• The Diocese of Sanyuan (1944 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Yan’an (1696 and 1946), there is a bishop.
• The Diocese of Zhouzhi (apostolic prefecture in 1932, diocese in 1951), there is a bishop.
Other Jurisdictions
In addition to the provinces, there are other jurisdictions. There is the Roman-rite Apostolic Administration in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. It was established in 1931 and is immediately subject to the Pope. There is a bishop, but he does not have a papal mandate. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Harbin was originally built in the first half of the 20th Century. It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in 2004.
Picture from Wikipedia.
There is a Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate also in Harbin. It was established in 1928 and is immediately subject to the Pope. It has not had a bishop since 1953 and it is not known how many Russian-rite Catholics remain in China.
There are also 28 apostolic prefectures located all over China that are not part of any ecclesiastic province and are immediately subject to the Pope. For each prefecture, I will show the civil province in which it is located, the date the prefecture was established, and the status of the bishop/apostolic prefect.
Baoqing—Hunan, 1938, vacant since 1963.
Guilin—Guangxi, 1938, vacant since 2007.
Hainan—Hainan, 1936, vacant since 1980.
Haizhou—Guangxi, 1949, vacant since 1983.
Jiamusi—Heilongjiang, 1940, vacant since 1997.
Jian’ou—Fujian, 1938, vacant since 1953.
Lindong—Neimenggu (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), 1937, there is a bishop.
Linqing—Shandong, 1931, vacant since 1981.
Lixian—Hunan, 1931, vacant since 1995.
Qiqihar—Heilongjiang, 1931, there is a bishop.
Shaowu—Fujian, 1938, vacant since 1964.
Shashi—Hubei, 1936, vacant since 1961.
Shiquin—Guizhou, 1937, vacant since 2011.
Suixian—Hubei, 1937, vacant since 1981.
Tongzhou—Shaanxi, 1935, there is a bishop.
Tunxi—Anhui, 1937, vacant since 1954.
Weihai—Shandong, 1938, vacant since 1970.
Xiangtan—Hunan, 1937, vacant since 1965.
Xing’anfu, Shaanxi, 1928, there is an 89-year old bishop.
Xining—Qinghai, 1937, there is an 83-year old bishop.
Xinjiang—Shaanxi, 1936, there is a bishop.
Xinjiang—Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 1938, vacant since 2017.
Xinxiang—Henan, 1936, there is a bishop.
Yangzhou—Jiangsu, 1949, vacant since 1983.
Yixian—Hebei, 1935, vacant since 2015.
Yongzhou—Hunan, 1925, vacant since 1973.
Yueyang—Hunan, 1931, vacant since 1997.
Zhaotong—Yunnan, 1935, vacant since 1997.
Other noteworthy churches
St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Diocese of Tianjin in the Province of Beijing. It was built in between 1913 and 1916 when Tianjin was controlled by France. The Romanesque church, which holds 1,500 people, has red and yellow tiled walls with several large paintings with biblical themes. The exterior is made of bricks shipped from France. The Cathedral was heavily damaged during the Cultural Revolution and by a 1976 earthquake, but has been restored. Today, the Cathedral hosts a Chinese parish and an English-speaking parish.
All pictures from Wikipedia
St. Michael’s Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Diocese of Qingdao in the Province of Jinan. It was built by the Divine Word Missionaries between 1931 and 1934 when Qingdao was controlled by Germany. The Romanesque Revival building was badly damaged by the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. It was restored and reopened in 1981. The Cathedral sits on top of a hill and has two 184-foot bell towers. The building materials are concrete and granite. The interior, which covers 30,000 square feet, has white walls with gold piping and several large murals. The mural inside the dome features the Trinity flanked by Our Blessed Mother and St. John the Baptist. The Cathedral’s pipe organ was built by Jager and Brommer in Germany. The Cathedral has Masses in Chinese and Korean.
Both pictures are from Wikipedia.
There are two noteworthy churches in Shanghai in the Province of Nanjing—St. Ignatius Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians—China’s only minor basilica.
St. Ignatius Cathedral was built between 1906 and 1910 in a neo-Gothic style. It was designed by an English architect under the direction of French Jesuits. It can accommodate 2,500 people. The Cathedral was damaged by the Red Guards in 1966 who tore down the spires and broke the 3,200 square feet of stained glass windows. The Cathedral was reopened in 1978 and restoration began soon thereafter. The Cathedral has a sculpture of Holy Mary, Chinese Empress, by a Spanish artist.
Both pictures are from Wikipedia.
The Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, also known as Our Lady of Sheshan, given its location on Sheshan Hill. A church has been at this location since 1863 and has been pilgrimage site since 1874. The current Romanesque church was built by the Jesuits between 1924 and 1935. Pope Pius XII declared it a minor basilica in 1942. The basilica was heavily damaged during the Cultural Revolution, but has been repaired. The exterior is primarily granite and the roof is covered with Chinese-style glazed tiles. The marble altar has gold trim and in-laid jade. The Basilica can seat 3,000. The 125-foot bell tower is topped with a Madonna and Child statue.
The first picture is from Pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.
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 jurisdictions below the level of a diocese. These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures. Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.
Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite. Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage. Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches. Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The Russian-rite Catholic Church has only a few thousand members world-wide. An apostolic exarchate is and Eastern-rite missionary diocese.
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.
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