Catholicism in China has a long and complicated history. Christianity has existed in China in various forms since at least the Tang Dynasty in the eight century CE (For a full account of the history of Christianity in China up to contemporary times, see Christianity in China).
Early History
Catholic missionary priests from Europe are first recorded to have entered China in the 13th century. They had some success during the Mongol regime of the Yuan Dynasty but their influence gradually faded.
Post-Reformation
During the post-Reformation explosion of Catholic missionary efforts around the world, particularly in Asia, Jesuit missionaries attempted to enter China. They had mixed success at first, but eventually came to have a strong impact, particularly in inter-cultural scientific and artistic exchanges among the upper classes of China and the imperial court.
(See Jesuit China missions for details)
Modern Age
late 19th-early 20th century
French, British, European, American missionaries
MEP
Contemporary History
Since 1949, following the establishment of the People's Republic of China by the Chinese Communist Party, the status of Catholicism as a institution in Chinese society has been highly ambiguous. The Chinese government maintains that Chinese citizens' activities must not face interference or influence by external powers.
Hong Kong and Macao
Donald Tsang is a Catholic.
The Pope was denied a visit (deemed "inappropriate") to Hong Kong in 1999, a decision many believe was made under pressure from the central PRC government.
Diplomatic relations with the Vatican
The issue of Sino-Vatican relations has been a highly contentious one and often difficult for both sides (see below). The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association is the sole approved Catholic organization for Chinese Catholics.
Chinese terms for God and Christianity
The Chinese language typically divides Christians into two groups, believers of Jidu jiao, Protestantism, and Tianzhu jiao, Catholicism. The terms originate with different terms for God used in Chinese. The Catholic church historically favored Tianzhu (literally, Lord of Heaven) over Shangdi (literally, Sovreign Above), an alternate term used more commonly by Protestants.
The current term for the Protestant denomination refers to the Mandarin Chinese translation of Christ, Jidu.
(For full coverage see Chinese terms for God)
See also
Further Reading
- The Wise Man from the West , Vincent Cronin, Fortuna Books, London, 1955
- Jesuits at the Court of Peking, C. W. Allen, Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai, c.1933
