Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing

Statistics and extent

Ecclesiastical province

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Jiading
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kangding
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningyuan
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Shunqing
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Suifu
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Wanxian, its daughter

  History

• Established on 2 April 1856 as Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Szechwan, on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Szechwan, separating it from North-western Szechwan and its first name was South-eastern Szechwan. There were nine European and ten native priests, the mission being confided to the Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris. The Right Rev. Mgr Desflèches, Titular bishop of Sinita, was elected first Apostolic vicar. Missionaries and Christians were subject to imperial persecutions, but after the Franco-Chinese War of 1860, they obtained entire freedom to preach. In 1860 the mission was divided into two Apostolic vicariates: Eastern - and Southern Szechwan. The missionaries obtained from Chinese officials a piece of ground in the city of Chongqing, as compensation for the losses undergone by the mission. New persecutions broke out: at Yu-yang Father Eyraud was put in jail, Fathers Mabileau and Rigaud were murdered; at Kien-Kiang Fathers Hue and Tay were killed in 1873; on 8 March 1876, the settlements of the Christians were pillaged at Kiang-pe. Father Coupat, elected coadjutor in 1882, in 1888 succeeded Bishop Desflèches, who was 'promoted' Titular Archbishop of Claudiopolis in Honoriade. In 1886 the buildings of the mission at Chongqing were pillaged and destroyed, the bishop and missionaries had to retire into the Chinese tribunal. In 1891 the Right Rev. Mgr Chouvellon, titular Bishop of Dausara, succeeded Bishop Coupat. In 1898 Fr. Fleury was captured by Yu-man-tse and held prisoner for months.
• Renamed on 3 December 1924 after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Chongqing.
• Lost territory on 1929.08.02 to establish the then Apostolic Vicariate of Wanxian 萬縣, now its suffragan
• Promoted on 11 April 1946 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Chongqing.

  Episcopal ordinaries

• Eugène-Jean-Claude-Joseph Desflèches, Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris ; previously Titular Bishop of Sinita as Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Szechwan 四川 ; emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Claudiopolis .
• Eugène-Paul Coupat, M.E.P. , succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Szechwan 四川東境 and Titular Bishop of Thagaste
• Father Laurent Blettery, M.E.P. , Titular Bishop of Zela ; died 1898
• Célestin-Félix-Joseph Chouvellon, M.E.P. , Titular Bishop of Dausara

• Louis-Gabriel-Xavier Jantzen, M.E.P., emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Phasis
• uncanonical, i.e. without papal mandate : Shi Ming-liang , died 1978
• ''without papal mandate : Simon Liu Zong-yu , died 1992
• Peter Luo Bei-zhan .