# Catholic Church in Taiwan

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Catholic Church in Taiwan Chinese: 台灣天主教教會 Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Wanchin Type National polity Classification Catholic Orientation Latin Scripture Bible Theology Catholic theology Polity Episcopal Governance Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference Pope Leo XIV President John Baptist Lee Keh-mien Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Stefano Mazzotti Region Taiwan Language Latin, Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, Hakka Headquarters Taipei, Taiwan Origin 1626 Spanish Formosa, Spanish Empire Branched from Catholic Church in Spain Members 221,000 (2021)[1] Official website www.catholic.org.tw/en/

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Dioceses of Taiwan

The **Catholic Church in Taiwan** is part of the worldwide [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church), under the spiritual leadership of the [Pope](/source/Pope) in [Rome](/source/Rome). The Church operates two universities, the [Fu Jen Catholic University](/source/Fu_Jen_Catholic_University), and [Providence University](/source/Providence_University).[2][*[circular reference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Wikipedia_and_sources_that_mirror_or_use_it)*]

## Demography

According to the 2005 census, [Christianity](/source/Christianity) in Taiwan constituted 3.9% of the population;[3] this included approximately 300,000 Catholics.

Estimates in 2020 suggested that the portion had risen to 4% or 6%,[4][5][6] with Catholics making up 1% of the country's population. In the same year there were over 600 priests and 1,000 nuns serving in 424 parishes.[7]

## History

In 1514, Taiwan was included in the [Diocese of Funchal](/source/Diocese_of_Funchal) as a missionary jurisdiction; there was some organized Catholic activity on the island. In 1576, the first Chinese diocese, the [Diocese of Macau](/source/Diocese_of_Macau), was established in [Macau](/source/Macau), a Portuguese colony, and covered most of [China](/source/China) as well as Taiwan. The diocese of Macau was sub-divided several times over the next few centuries. In 1626, Northern Taiwan became a [Spanish colony](/source/Spanish_Formosa). In 1631, Jacinto Esquivel, a [Spanish](/source/Spanish_people) [Dominican](/source/Dominican_Order) [friar](/source/Friar), built a church in Northern Taiwan. In chronological order, Taiwan belonged to the [Archdiocese of Manila](/source/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Manila) (1627), the Apostolic Vicariate (now Archdiocese) of [Nanking](/source/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Nanjing) (1660), the Apostolic Vicariate of Fujian (now the [Archdiocese of Fuzhou](/source/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Fuzhou)) (1696) and the Apostolic Vicariate (now Diocese) of [Amoy](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Xiamen) (1883).

In 1913, the [Apostolic Prefecture](/source/Apostolic_Prefecture) of the Island of Taiwan (then called Formosa in foreign languages) was established out of the Diocese of Amoy. It was renamed Apostolic Prefecture of Kaohsiung in 1949, when the Apostolic Prefecture of Taipei (now the [Archdiocese of Taipei](/source/Archdiocese_of_Taipei)) was established out of its territory.

Before the end of World War II the Catholic Church had a very minor presence in Taiwan, based mainly in the south of the island and centred on Spanish Dominican priests who went there from the Philippines in the 1860s. In 1948, there were less than 10,000 Catholics on Taiwan and 15 clergy.[8]: 187 The end of World War II and the following years saw a mass migration of religious communities from mainland China as Communist persecution began to take effect following the [Chinese Communist Revolution](/source/Chinese_Communist_Revolution) in 1949. As a result, the Catholic Church has many [Mandarin](/source/Mandarin_language)-speaking emigrants from the mainland.

In September 1951 the Papal Internuncio to [China](/source/China) was expelled to Hong Kong. Since 1952, the Papal internuncio has been stationed in Taiwan ([Republic of China](/source/Republic_of_China)). Also, the ROC ambassador to the [Holy See](/source/Holy_See) has provided the only permanent diplomatic link between China and the Holy See. Attempts to move the [Papal nuncio](/source/Papal_nuncio) to [Beijing](/source/Beijing) have failed, as the Holy See has not accepted demands by the [People's Republic of China](/source/People's_Republic_of_China) that it sever its diplomatic links with Taiwan.

[Pope John XXIII](/source/Pope_John_XXIII) created three new dioceses on Taiwan in 1959.[8]: 187

After the [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council), the [episcopacy](/source/Bishop) on Taiwan established the [Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference](/source/Chinese_Catholic_Bishops_Conference).[8]: 187

In 1988, the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples told the Taiwan episcopacy not to inquire into the Church's mainland China affairs and to instead limit their mission to [Overseas Chinese](/source/Overseas_Chinese) and Chinese students overseas.[8]: 187

In 1998, the Vatican's Secretariat of State requested that the Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference be renamed the Chinese Regional Bishops Conference (天主教台灣地區主教團 in Chinese, meaning the Taiwan Region Catholic Bishops Conference).[8]: 187 The name change implied a diminished status.[8]: 187

The current archbishop of Taipei is [Thomas Chung An-Zu](/source/Thomas_Chung_An-Zu) (鐘安住), who was appointed on 23 May 2020[9][10] to succeed [John Hung Shan-chuan](/source/John_Hung_Shan-chuan) (洪山川), S.V.D., who retired in the same year.

On 19 February 2021, [Pope Francis](/source/Pope_Francis) formally granted a decree of [canonical coronation](/source/Canonical_coronation) for a Marian image of [Our Lady of China](/source/Our_Lady_of_China), currently venerated at the National Shrine of Our Lady of China in [Chiayi County](/source/Chiayi_County), [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan).[11]

## Dioceses

- [Archdiocese of Taipei](/source/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Taipei) (台北), established 1949, archdiocese since 1952

- [Diocese of Kaohsiung](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Kaohsiung) (高雄), established 1913, renamed 1949, elevated 1961

- [Diocese of Taichung](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Taichung) (台中), established 1951, elevated 1962

- [Diocese of Chiayi](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Chiayi) (嘉義), established 1952, elevated 1962

- [Diocese of Hwalien](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Hwalien) (花蓮), established 1952, elevated 1963

- [Diocese of Hsinchu](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Hsinchu) (新竹), established 1961

- [Diocese of Tainan](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Tainan) (台南), established 1961

- [Kinma Apostolic Administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kinma_Apostolic_Administration&action=edit&redlink=1) (金馬), established 1968

## See also

- [Taiwan portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Taiwan)
- [Catholicism portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Catholicism)

- [Catholic Church in China](/source/Catholic_Church_in_China)

- [Catholic Church in Hong Kong](/source/Catholic_Church_in_Hong_Kong)

- [Catholic Church in Macau](/source/Catholic_Church_in_Macau)

- [Chinese Rites Controversy](/source/Chinese_Rites_Controversy)

- [Christianity in Taiwan](/source/Christianity_in_Taiwan)

- [Holy See–Taiwan relations](/source/Holy_See%E2%80%93Taiwan_relations)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Catholic Church in Taiwan"](http://gcatholic.org/dioceses/country/TW.htm?tab=info). *GCatholic.org*. Retrieved 11 September 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Providence University](/source/Providence_University)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-moi_3-0)** ["Taiwan Yearbook 2006"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070708213510/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/22Religion.htm). Taiwan Government Information Office, Department of Civil Affairs, Ministry of the Interior. 2006. Archived from [the original](http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/yearbook/22Religion.htm) on 8 July 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-28](https://thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=50c&u=23r)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [The Joshua Project, retrieved 2032-08-28](https://joshuaproject.net/countries/TW)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Washington Times website, article by Mark Kellmer dated August 12, 2022](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/aug/12/christians-taiwan-fear-severe-persecution-should-c/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08](https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/taiwan)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_8-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_8-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_8-5) Moody, Peter (2024). "The Vatican and Taiwan: An Anomalous Diplomatic Relationship". In [Zhao, Suisheng](/source/Suisheng_Zhao) (ed.). *The Taiwan Question in Xi Jinping's Era: Beijing's Evolving Taiwan Policy and Taiwan's Internal and External Dynamics*. London and New York: [Routledge](/source/Routledge). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781032861661](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781032861661).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Resignations and Appointments"](http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/05/23/200523b.html).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Thomas Chung An-Zu is the new archbishop of Taipei"](http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Thomas-Chung-An-Zu-is-the-new-archbishop-of-Taipei-50174.html).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** yitsadmin (23 June 2022). ["National Shrine of Our Lady of China, Meishan, County | CSB"](https://catholicshrinebasilica.com/national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-china-meishan-township-chiayi-county-taiwan/). *Catholic Shrine Basilica*. Retrieved 27 April 2024.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Roman Catholic Church in Taiwan](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Roman_Catholic_Church_in_Taiwan).

- [Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference](http://www.catholic.org.tw/)

- [The Catholic Church in TW](http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/data/countryTW.htm) by GCatholic.org

- [Shamanism and Catholic Indigenous Communities in Taiwan](http://www.erenlai.com/index.php?aid=763&lan=3) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120206062641/http://www.erenlai.com/index.php?aid=763&lan=3) 6 February 2012 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Catholic Church in Taiwan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Taiwan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Taiwan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.