The spread of Catholicism to China could be traced back to the early Tang Dynasty(618-907). The first priest who traveled to China for propagating Catholicism was Olopen, a Syrian. In the year of 635, he arrived in Xi’an and met Emperor Taizong. The emperor allowed the priest to propagate Catholicism in China and gave an order to build a church in the capital city. As the first church in China, it was constructed in 638 and named Daqing Church. Daqing refers to Persia. In ancient China, Catholicism was called the Jing Religion. Olopen preached the word of God to Chinese people and translated the Bible into Chinese during his stay in Xi’an. In 845, Emperor Wuzong banned propagating Catholicism, Buddhism and Islam nationwide. Two years later, Emperor Li-Chen succeeded to the throne and lifted the ban on religious activities. However, Catholicism failed to thrive due to domestic chaos. In the year of 878, the Huangchao Rebellion broke out. A large number of Catholics and Muslims were persecuted by the rebels. Before the Tang Empire was overthrown, Catholicism had sunk without trace in China.
Marco Polo(1254-1324), a Italian trader, was sent to China by the Roman Church. He arrived in Beijing in the year of 1275 and met Kublai Khan. Marco Polo stayed in China for seventeen years. One of his works was entitled the Travel of Marco Polo.
Matteo Ricci(1552-1610) was born in Italy. He joined the Society of Jesus at the age of 19. Matteo Ricci studied mathematics, astronomy, geography, Portuguese and Spanish. In the year of 1582, he arrived in Macao and learned Chinese. The priest moved to Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province and started his missionary work in China. In 1600, he decided to reside in Beijing. The priest lived in Beijing for ten years and passed away in the year of 1610. Matteo Ricci dedicated his life to propagating Catholicism and introducing western science to China. In order to praise his works, Emperor Shenzong of Ming gave an order to build a tomb for the priest. In fact, Matteo Ricci successfully introduced Catholicism to China. By the end of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), the number of Chinese Catholics reached 150,000.
During the early Qing Dynasty(1644-1911), Johann Adam Schall von Bell(1591-1666) and Ferdinand Verbiest(1623-1688) preached the word of God in China. Both were members of the Society of Jesus. The former was a German and the latter was born in Belgium. They both were outstanding scholars and scientists. However, Catholicism did not spread widely among Chinese people until the outbreak of the Opium War(1840).
Luo Wenzao(1616-1691) was the first Chinese Bishop. He was appointed as the Bishop of Guangzhou in 1685.
Chinese Catholic Bishops' College was founded in 1982. It is a national organization which is in charge of religious affairs of Chinese Catholicism. So far, Catholicism has gained over 6 million Chinese followers. There are around 8,000 priests, 6,000 churches and meeting houses throughout China.
The Famous Catholic Churches in China
The North Church and the South Church in Beijing
The North Church could be traced back to the year of 1705. It is the biggest one in Beijing. The church covers an area of 2,200 square meters(2,631 sq.yd). It was reconstructed in 1888. The address of the church is No.33, Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing.
The South Church was built by Matteo Ricci in 1605. It is the oldest church in Beijing. The church features the Baroque architecture. The present building can be dated back to 1902. It is situated at No.141, Qianmen-West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing.
Both the North Church and the South Church have been added to the list of National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Sites under Protection.
Xujiahui Catholic Church in Shanghai
Xujiahui Catholic Church is located at No.158, Puxi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai. The church was constructed in 1904. It is a Gothic church, covering an area of 2,670 square meters(3,193 sq.yd). Xujiahui Catholic Church can hold more than 3,000 people. In 2013, it was designated as a National Key Relic Site under Protection.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Guangzhou
The Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of the oldest Gothic churches in China. It was constructed in 1863. As one of top four Stone Gothic churches in the world, the Sacred Heart Cathedral is as magnificent as Notre-Dame de Paris, Westminster Abbey and Cologne Cathedral. It covers an area of 2,754 square meters(3,293 sq.yd) with a height of 58.5 meters(192 feet). The church was listed as a National Key Relic Site under Protection in 1996.
Ping’anqiao Cathedral in Chengdu
The church is situated at No.29, Ping’anqiao Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu. It was built in 1897. The church covers an area of 8,508 square meters(2.1 acres). It is the largest on in southwestern China. Ping’anqiao Cathedral features Byzantine architecture. In 2013, it was designated as a National Key Relic Site under Protection.
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Author: Tina Luo
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