KONTUM, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — In Indochina, erected on 18 January 1932 through the division of the vicariate of Quinhon.
It comprises the provinces of Attopeu, Banmèthuòt, K., and the mountainous and barbarian part of Quangnam. It has an area of approximately 70,000 km², with a total population of 725,000 barbarians, Annamites, and Laotians, of whom 24,916 are Catholics, divided as follows: 20,348 uncivilized, 4,330 Annamites, and 238 Europeans. The Protestants have approximately 300 adherents in the province of Banmèthuòt. The pagan Annamites practice ancestor worship or observe Buddhism, but they are few. The uncivilized pagans venerate their genies. There are many tribes, formerly in continual conflict with one another, which now live in peace. Each tribe has its own language. The uncivilized have neither temples nor dogmas: they worship the goddess of rice (the Sori). In every village there are sorcerers called «bojan», who take the place of physicians and intervene in judgments. The «bojan» is regarded by the priests as the number-one enemy of the religion, because he deceives the people.
Regarding the origin of the mission of K., in 1830 the apostolic vicar of eastern Cochinchina, Domenico Stefano Cuenot, later declared blessed by the Church (in 1909), sent the Annamite deacon Do to explore the region of the barbarians, in order to find a suitable place in which to establish the mission seminary, because of the religious persecution in the Annamite kingdom. In view of the favorable outcome of that exploration, Fathers Combes and Desgouts and others were sent to the region.
In 1890 the new mission of K. had 1,880 baptized persons; in 1900, 10,120; and in 1933, 21,780. It is entrusted to the Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris. There are 24 districts and 188 Christian communities. There are 36 priests, of whom 19 are French, 15 Annamite, and 2 Bahnar; 166 catechists; 21 religious women; 13 primary schools; 23 orphanages; an infant asylum; a leprosarium; and a printing press, from which two newspapers are published: Echos de la mission and Hlabar tobang.
There are 13 major seminarians and 14 minor seminarians. The Gospel is preached freely, and the pagans are well disposed toward the Catholic religion.