 Catholic Church in Tibet | |
|---|---|
Above: former Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at Dartsedo (Sichuanese Tibet), seat of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tibet. Below: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church at Yerkalo, the only Catholic church in the Tibet Autonomous Region. | |
| Classification | Catholic |
| Orientation | Latin |
| Scripture | Catholic Bible |
| Theology | Catholic theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | CPA and BCCCC (controversial) |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop of Kangding | Sede vacante |
| Region | Tibet Autonomous Region Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Kokang Derung and Nu Autonomous County |
| Language | Tibetan, Sichuanese, Yunnanese, Latin |
| Headquarters | Dartsedo, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan |
| Founder | António de Andrade Paris Foreign Missions Society |
| Origin | Western Tibet: 1624 Eastern Tibet: 1846 Kingdom of Guge, western Tibet (Jesuit mission) Dartsedo, eastern Tibet (Paris Foreign mission) |
The Catholic Church is a minority religious organization in Tibet, where Tibetan Buddhism is the faith of the majority of people. Its origin dates from the 17th century, when António de Andrade, a Portuguese Jesuit through Jesuit missions in Tibet, introduced Catholicism into the Kingdom of Guge in western Tibet.[1]
The Catholic Church of Lhasa was the first Catholic church built in Tibet, but was destroyed in 1745. Today, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church at Yerkalo in Chamdo is the only Catholic church in the Chinese communist government-designated Tibet Autonomous Region, in addition to chapels and churches scattered throughout the incorporated Tibetan territories in Sichuan (Szechwan) and Yunnan.
- ^ Russell-Wood, A. J. R. (July 31, 1998). The Portuguese Empire, 1415–1808: A World on the Move. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 90. ISBN 9780801859557.