CHENGTU [CHENGDU], Diocese of. - The civil province of Szechwan, in western China, detached from the diocese of Nanking, was erected as an apostolic vicariate on 15 Oct. 1696 and entrusted to the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris.

On 2 Apr. 1856 the mission was divided into two vicariates: that of northwestern Szechwan and that of southeastern Szechwan. The first continued to have its see at C. and on 3 Dec. 1924 took its name from this city; on 2 Aug. 1929 it gave rise, by division, to the apostolic vicariate of Shunking (v.); on 11 Apr. 1946 it was elevated to a diocese suffragan of Chungking.

Within its present boundaries C. measures 86,000 sq. km. in area. The population, as of 30 June 1947, was about 16 million, of whom 38,894 were Catholics and 1,469 catechumens. There were 31 foreign missionaries and 48 Chinese; 50 Chinese sisters and 21 foreign. There were 7 orphanages, 4 hospitals and 5 medical clinics.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: GM, p. 191 SGR.; MC, p. 77 SGR.; Annuaire de l'Eglise catholique en Chine, 1948, Sciangai 1948, passim.

Adamo Pucci

@incollection{ec3_chengtu_diocesi_di, author = {Pucci, Adamo}, title = {Chengtu, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {1408}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/chengtu-diocesi-di} }

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Chengtu [Chengdu], Diocese of

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