Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu

(Redirected from Western Szechwan Mission)

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu (formerly spelt Chengtu) (Latin: Dioecesis Cemtuana; simplified Chinese: 天主教成都教区; traditional Chinese: 天主教成都教區) is a suffragan Latin Catholic diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Chongqing covering southwestern China's Sichuan area, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Diocese of Chengdu

Dioecesis Cemtuana

天主教成都教區
天主教成都教区
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Chengdu
Coat of arms
Location
CountryChina
Ecclesiastical provinceChongqing
MetropolitanChongqing
Statistics
Area100,000 km2 (39,000 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 1950)
20,000,000
40,240 (0.2%)
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established15 October 1696 (as apostolic vicariate)
CathedralImmaculate Conception Cathedral, Chengdu
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopJoseph Tang Yuange
Metropolitan ArchbishopSede vacante
Map
Chengdu (Tchen-tou-fou) was part of the Western Szechwan Mission. Map prepared by Adrien Launay [fr], 1889.
Chengdu (Tchen-tou-fou) was part of the Western Szechwan Mission. Map prepared by Adrien Launay [fr], 1889.

Established on 15 October 1696 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Szechwan, its episcopal see is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (colloquially known as Ping'anqiao Church) located in the city of Chengdu. The Diocese of Chengdu is the first bishopric of the Catholic Church in Sichuan (Szechwan), since the separation of the mission's eastern territory in 1856, it was designated Western Szechwan Mission.

Extent

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The diocese, based in Chengdu, covers 4 cities, namely, Chengdu (Tchen-tou-fou), Deyang (Te-yang-hien), Guangyuan (Koang-yuen-hien) and Mianyang (Mien-tcheou-hien), and 37 districts and counties, totaling an area of 54,900 square kilometers.[1]

It is bordered by the Diocese of Kangding to the west, Diocese of Shunqing to the east, Diocese of Jiading to the south, Diocese of Qinzhou to the northwest, and Diocese of Hanzhong to the northeast.

No recent statistics available.

History

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Genealogy of MEP ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Sichuan (Szechwan), with its three attachments: Tibet, Yunnan and Guizhou (Kweichow).

One of the headquarters of the Spanish Redemptorist missions in Sichuan was based in the Apostolic Vicariate of Chengtu.[3]

Episcopal ordinaries

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All Roman Rite; so far, like other members of Latin congregations, it has ministered by European missionaries for most of its history.[2]

Apostolic Vicars of Szechwan
 
Artus de Lionne, first Apostolic Vicar of Szechwan.
Apostolic Vicars of Northwestern Szechwan
Apostolic Vicar of Chengtu
Suffragan Bishops of Chengtu
 
The current cathedra of the Bishop of Chengdu, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The coat of arms of Joseph Tang Yuange is visible.
Suffragan Bishops of Chengdu

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Diocese of Chengdu". ucanews.com. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Diocese of Chengdu". gcatholic.org. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. ^ Tiedemann, R. G. (1 July 2016). Reference Guide to Christian Missionary Societies in China: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century. Milton Park: Routledge. p. 15. ISBN 9781315497310.
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30°39′59″N 104°03′34″E / 30.66638°N 104.05935°E / 30.66638; 104.05935