Zhengding, Diocese of

ZHENGDING, Diocese of. - After the diocese of Beijing was suppressed in 1856, by a brief of 3 May of that same year three apostolic vicariates were established in the civil province of Hopeh, then called Celi or Chihli: the one whose see was at C. was called the apostolic vicariate of Western Celi and continued to bear this name until 3 Dec. 1924, when it took its name from the city of residence of the Ordinary. From that time it was entrusted to the Congregation of the Mission: the Lazarists. In 1924 the apostolic prefecture of Lihsen, today the diocese of Ankwo (v.), was erected, taking part of its territory from C.; in 1929, by division of C., the apostolic prefecture of Shunteh was erected. On 11 Apr. 1946 C. was elevated to a diocese, suffragan of Beijing.

At present C. measures about 18,000 sq km in area. The total population, as of 30 June 1947, was about 4,000,000 inhabitants, of whom 52,000 were Catholics. Besides the bishop, a Chinese Lazarist, there were 53 foreign priests, for the most part Dutch, and 16 native priests; the lay religious were 35, of whom 1 was Chinese; the nuns: 7 foreign and 121 native. In the territory of the diocese of C., since 1928, a Trappist monastery has been founded under the title of Our Lady of Joy: its personnel is included in that reported above.

The mission of C. suffered greatly during the conflict between China and Japan.

Adamo Pucci