635 　


        Alopen, a Nestorian monk, reaches the Tang capital of Chang’an (now Xian) and translates Christian Scripture for Emperor Taizhong. Taizhong is deeply interested in the doctrine and permits Alopen to preach a Nestorian form of Christianity.

845　


        Tang Emperor Wuzhong bans Buddhism and closes temples. Nestorianism is also hit by this revolutionary edict. Nestorian clergy either emigrate or return to secular life.

 
1245　


        1245 Pope Innocent IV sends a Franciscan friar, John of Plano Carpini, eastward with official letters to open diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Mongols.

1289　


        Pope Nicholas IV sends a Franciscan, John of Montecorvino, on a diplomatic mission to the first Yuan emperor.

1294


        Montecorvino reaches Beijing and is granted permission to live in the capital, make converts, and build a church.

 
1307

        Pope Clement V establishes the Archdiocese of Beijing, appointing Montecorvino the archbishop for China and the Far East. In July of that year, the Pope ordained seven Franciscans as bishops to come to China and assist Montecorvino.

1328　


        Montecorvino sends a Franciscan, Odoric of Pordenone, back to Europe to request more missionaries. Montecorvino dies.

1331　


        Odoric dies in Italy and later, in 1755 was named Blessed, the first missionary to China to be beatified.

1370　


        There are 60,000 Catholics in Beijing, but with no bishop ever succeeding Montecorvino, the church gradually disappears.

 
1552　


        St. Francis Xavier dies on Shangchuan (Sancian) Island off the coast of Guangdong, and Matteo Ricci is born.

1555

        Jesuits reach Macau (Macao).

1583　


        Ricci and Michele Ruggieri settle in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, starting the modern mission era in China. The Creator is called Tianzhu, the Lord of Heaven, for the first time.

1597　


        The Jesuits establish their China Province, with Mateo Ricci as the first superior. Xu Guangqi meets Ricci.

 
1603　


        Paul Xu Guangqi, one of the Three Pillars (great first converts) of the Catholic Church in China, is baptized in Nanjing.

1610


        Ricci baptizes Li Zhizao, another of the Three Pillars, in Beijing. Ricci dies and is buried in the capital.

1611　


        Fr. Lazaro Cattaneo baptizes Yang Tingyun. Luo Wenzao, the first Chinese bishop, is born.

1627　


        The Jiading Conference discusses terms for God such as Shangdi and Tianzhu. Aside from missionaries, Xu Guangxi, Li Zhizao, Yang Tingyun and other Catholic laymen were present.

1645


        Propaganda Fide prohibits Chinese Catholics from participating in ceremonies to honor Confucius and the ancestors. The century-long Chinese Rites Controversy begins.

1648　


        The first Chinese martyr, Dominican Francis Capillas, is killed in Fujian. Pope Pius X beatifies him in 1909.

1654


        Luo Wenzao ordained a priest in Manila.

1660　


         The Vatican established the Vicariate of Nanjing for Jiangsu, Henan, Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi and Gaoli (Korea).

1674


        Pope Clement X names Luo Wenzao the Bishop of Nanjing, but he was not ordained a bishop until 1685.

1692


        Emperor Kangxi issued Edict of Toleration, granting missionaries freedom to spread the faith and freedom of religion to Chinese citizens.

 
1707　


        The papal legate in Nanjing, Maillard de Tournon, proclaims a ban on Chinese Rites. Emperor Kangxi banishes him from China.

1720　


        The papal legate, Charles Ambrose Mezzabarba, arrives in China to deal with the Rites Controversy.

1724　


        Emperor Yongzheng bans the preaching of Catholicism in China under penalty of death. The scope of the missionaries’ activities is limited to Guangzhou, but some of them have permission to remain in Beijing.

1746　


        The Qing government allows Zhou Xuejian, the Governor of Fujian, to eliminate evangelizers. A nationwide persecution of Catholics ensues.

1773


        Pope Clement XIV issues an edict suppressing the Jesuits.

 
1807　


        William Morrison reaches Macau in late September, and then enters Guangzhou to preach. He is the first Protestant missionary to enter China.

1814


        Pope Pius VII reestablishes the Jesuits. Bl. Wu Guosheng is martyred in Zunyi, Guizhou Province.

1842　


        The Opium War between China and Britain ends in an unequal treaty, which gives missionaries the right to live and work in five treaty ports.

1860


        The unequal Treaty of Tianjin, France compels China to abolish all restraints on missionary activity in China.

1879　


        China is divided into five mission territories: 1.) Zhili (Hebei), Manchuria (northeast), Mongolia; 2.) Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu; 3.) Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Jiangnan; 4.) Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Xizhang (Tibet); 5.) Guangdong, Fujian and Hong Kong.

 
1900


        The Boxer Uprising seeks to expel all foreigners. They murder 4 bishops, 31 priests and 30,000 lay Catholics. Number of Catholics nationwide reaches 720,000.

1903


        Ma Xiangbo opens Aurora Academy in Xujiahui, Shanghai. After being expelled from the Jesuits, he opens Fudan Public Academy in 1905, later called Fudan University.

1911


        The Wuhan Uprising starts on October 10 and succeeds. The Republic of China is established on January 1, 1912 with Nanjing as the capital. Catholics total 1,430,000 nationwide.

1922


        Bishop (later Cardinal) Celso Costantini sent as the first apostolic delegate to China.

1924　


        First Plenary Council of China meets in Shanghai, with two Chinese apostolic administrators in attendance.

1925　


        Thanks to the outstanding initiative of lay Catholics, Fujen University opens in Beijing.

1926　


        Pope Pius Xi personally ordains six Chinese bishops in Rome. They are the first Chinese bishops since Luo Wenzhao.

1937


        The War of Resistance against Japan starts, and most Catholic hospitals are put at the service of the struggle. There are 3,100,000 Catholics in China.

1939　


        On December 8, Propaganda Fide issues a directive stating that the Chinese Rites are part of traditional Chinese culture and are worthy of esteem.

1945　


        Japan surrenders on August 15, ending WW II. Bishop Tian Gengxin of Qingdao is made a Cardinal, the first Cardinal of East Asian ancestry.

1946　


        The Chinese hierarchy is established with 20 ecclesial provinces, 20 archdioceses and a total of 117 dioceses. On July 6, Archbishop Antonio Riberi becomes the first Internuncio to China. He resides in Nanjing, then the capital.

1949


        The People’s Republic of China is established on October 1. The Communist Party issues its Common Program as a temporary Constitution.

 
1951　


        Fr. Li Weiguang, the newly appointed administrator of the Diocese of Nanjing, calls for a “self-supporting, self-governing, self-propagating Catholic Church in China.” Archbishop Riberi is expelled from China. Many lay people and religious are arrested. Most Catholic institutions are nationalized.

1952


        On January 18, Pope Pius XII issues apostolic letter To the Catholics of China to encourage Catholics.

1955


        Bishop Ignatius Gong Pinmei along with over 300 priests, Sisters and laity are arrested in Shanghai. Large numbers of Catholics are arrested across China. Fr. Li Weiguang in Nanjing plans to establish a National Church, but he is excommunicated.

1957


        1957 The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) is established in Beijing and holds its First National Conference. Archbishop Pi Shushi of Shenyang is chosen as its first chairman.

1958


        The Chinese Church selects and ordains Bishops Dong Guangqing of Hankou and Yuan Wenhua of Wuhan. The CCPA asks the Vatican for approval, but Propaganda Fide rejects the request.

1962


        The Second Nation Conference of the CCPA is held in Beijing. Pope John XXIII opens Vatican II, the first Ecumenical Council with Chinese bishops in attendance. Bishops in the Mainland are invited, but none of them are able to attend.

1966　


        The Great Cultural Revolution erupts and all churches are closed as ten years of chaos begins. All clergy, including priests and bishops working with the Patriotic Association, are arrested or sent to labour camps.

1967　


        The Vatican appoints Fr. Francis Xu Chengbin as Auxiliary Bishop of Hong Kong on July 1. He is consecrated on Oct. 7, the first Chinese bishop in the history of HK. 1969 Bishop Xu appointed Bishop of Hong Kong on May 29 and installed on Oct. 26.

1971


        Immaculate Conception Church (the South Church) reopens in Beijing, to provide the foreign diplomatic community with Catholic liturgy.

1976　


        Chairman Mao dies on Sept. 9. Hua Guofeng and Ye Jianying overthrow the Gang of Four. Victims of the Cultural Revolutions slowly have their verdicts overturned.

1979


        Bishop Georg Moser of W. Germany visits China, the highest-ranking Catholic cleric to visit since 1949.

1980　


        Cardinals Etchegarray and Koening visit China. Bishop Dominic Deng Yiming of Guangzhou released after 22 years in prison, and goes to Hong Kong for medical treatment. The Third National Conference of the CCPA is held in Beijing in May. It resolves to establish the Chinese Bishops’ Conference and the Church Administrative Committee, stating that these two organizations both have an “ecclesial nature.”

1981　


        Visiting Manila, Pope John Paul II addresses the Chinese people, hoping for a dialogue between the two sides. He stresses that one can be truly Christian and authentically Chinese at the same time. Cardinal Cassaroli visits HK and meets Bishop Dominic Deng Yiming. Pope John Paul II appoints Deng Yiming as Archbishop of Guangzhou, triggering strong protests from the CCPA and the Chinese government.

1982


        The government issues Document 19, “The Basic Viewpoint and Policy on the Religious Question during Our Country’s Socialist Period.” Sheshan Seminary reopens in Shanghai, the first seminary to reopen since they were all closed in 1957.

1984


        Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila visits China. All 29 foreign bishops resign from their previous sees in the Mainland.

1985　


        Protestants establish the Amity Foundation in Nanjing to respond to social needs. Bishop John Baptist Wu of Hong Kong returns home for the first time since 1949, the first bishop of H.K. to visit the PRC. Mother Teresa visits China for the first time. Bishop Kong Pinmei of Shanghai released after 30 years in prison. Bishop Jin Luxian of Shanghai leads a Catholic group to visit Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines.

1986　


        Bishop J.B. Wu visits his home in Wuhua, Guangdong, for the first time in 40 years. He calls upon the Diocese of Hong Kong to become a Bridge Church between the Mainland and the rest of the world.

1987　


        The Vatican appoints Fr. Lin Jiajun as the first Chinese bishop of Macau.

1988　


         Bishop Kong Pinmei of Shanghai has his civil rights restored in January. He leaves for the USA in May to visit relatives and for medical treatment. Bishop J.B. Wu becomes a cardinal in June at age 63. Joseph Cardinal Tomko, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, issues a document giving eight directives for foreign clergy who visit China.

1989　


        The Central Office of the Party and the State Council issue Document 3: On Stepping up Control over the Catholic Church to Meet the New Situation. On Nov. 21, a dozen underground priests and bishops meet in Sanyuan County, Shaanxi, and establish the Chinese Bishops Conference. They elect Bishops Fan Xueyan (not present) and Deng Yiming (overseas) as honorary chairmen, Bishop Liu Guandong of Yixian as chairman, and Auxiliary Bishop Liu Shuhe of Yixian as secretary. Shortly afterwards, the government broke up the underground Bishops Conference, arrested many bishops and sent them to prison or labor camp.

1991　


        In February, Document 6: A Circular from Party Central and the State Council concerning Certain Problems in Further Improving Religious Work is published. Bishop Gong Pinmei of Shanghai, a “secret Cardinal” since 1979 now living in the USA, goes to Rome to receive his red hat on June 29. On November 1, the Foreign Office of the State Council publishes a White Paper: Human Rights in China, which reiterates that citizens of China enjoy religious freedom. 　

1992


        Fifth National Catholic Conference held in Beijing and decides to use the vernacular in the liturgy.

1993


        The H.K. Studium Biblicum gives the Church in China copywrite permission to reprint the Chinese Bible.

1994


        The State Council issues Decree 144: Regulations on the Supervision of the Religious Activities of Foreigners in China and Decree 145: Regulations Regarding the Management of Places of Religious Activities.

1995


        Archbishop Dominic Deng Yiming of Guangzhou dies in the USA on June 27 at age 87.

1996


        Papal representative, Archbishop Claudio Celli, meets with representatives of the central government in Beijing. This is seen as a first step towards establishing diplomatic relations. Pope John Paul II appoints Fr. Joseph Zen to be the Coadjutor Bishop of Hong Kong and Fr. John Tong to be the Auxiliary Bishop.

1997


        The government issues a White Paper on Religious Freedom to refute accusations it interferes with religious rights.

1998


        The Synod of Asian Bishops is held in Rome. Pope John Paul II announces that he had invited Bishop Duan Yinming of Wanxian in Sichuan and his Auxiliary Bishop Xu Zhixuan to attend, but the Chinese government refused them permission to leave China. Pope John Paul II creates 22 new Cardinals, including Paul Shan of Gaoxiong, Taiwan.

 
2000


        Cardinal Gong Pinmei dies in the USA at age 98. Four other Chinese bishops die during the year. The government issues a White Paper: Fifty Years of Progress in Human Rights in China. Pope John Paul II canonizes 120 Chinese Martyrs in Rome on Oct. 1.

2001


        Bishop Duan Yinming of Wanxian in Sichuan dies in January. He was the last surviving bishop in China appointed by Pope Pius XII. At an international seminar on the Fourth Centenary of Matteo Ricci’s Arrival in Beijing, Pope John Paul II apologizes for all “past and present” mistakes committed by Catholic personnel in China.

2002


         Cardinal J.B. Wu dies in H.K. on Sept. 23, and Bp. Joseph Zen, age 71, succeeds him. After being closed for many years, the oldest private library in Xujiahui, Shanghai, built by the Jesuits over a century ago, finally reopens. Fr. Arnold Janssen, S.V.D, the founder of the Society of Divine Word, and Fr. Joseph Freinademetz, S.V.D., who worked and died in Shandong, are both beatified in the same ceremony.

2004


        The Holy See demands a clear explanation of the arrest of Bishop Wei Jingyi. This is the first time Rome has publicly expressed concern over the arrest of a cleric in China. Beijing maintains that Bishop Wei was picked up for leaving China illegally, but releases him shortly afterwards. In December, the State Council issues new Regulations on Religious Affairs.

 
2005


        Pope John Paul passes away on April 2. During his final illness, the Chinese Foreign Office expresses its concern and sympathy through the news media. Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Belgium cuts short his visit to China due to the Pope’s death. On April 19, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine, is elected Pope. He chooses the name Benedict XVI. The Chinese Foreign Ministry congratulates the new pope, and repeats its demand for the Holy See to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Receiving ambassadors from 174 nations and organizations, the new pope expresses his wish to establish ties with “many nations which do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.” This is interpreted as a call to establish relations with China. The media and Internet are abuzz with rumors that the two sides will do this quickly. The Vatican approves three new bishops: Xing Wenzhi in Shanghai, Dang Mingyan in Xian, and He Zeqing as Coadjutor Bishop of Wanxian.