2. Romtm Catholic Mi$$wnt.~^l.') The fint period in the history of Roman Catholic missions in China was intrc^nced by the labors of Johannes de Monte Corvino, who entered India in 1291, and after meeting with great opposition, not only Anom the pagans, but also from the Nestorians, was so successful in his la- bors that in 1805 he had baptized 6000 converts. His labors were confined principally to the Tartars, whose language he had learned, and into which he translated the N. T. and the Psalms. In 1805 Pope Clement Y constituted him archbishop of Pekin, and sent seven suffhigan bishops (Franciscans) to his assistance. He died in 1880. Another archbishop of Peldn was ap- pointed in 1886, and 26 additional laborera joined the mission. In 1869 the Ming dynasty came into power, and seems to have crushed out Christianity altogether, both Roman and Nestorian.
(2.) Several unsuccessful attempts were made in the years 1556, 1575, and 1579, by Domhiicans, Francia- cans, and Augustines, to re-establish missions in China, but it was left for tiie Jesuits finally to accomplish it. Matteo Ricd led the way. He reached Macao in 1581, and l>y persevering efforts made his way to Pekin, and into the good graces of the reigning emperor. Several high mandarins were converted through his efforts, chkf among whom was Sieu, an officer of the highest rank and of great personal influence. Ricci died in 1610 at the age of 80, and was buried with g^reat pomp and solemnity. In 1628 Adam Schaal, a German Jesuit, arrived, and through the influence of Sieu was favorably received by the emperor. His great talents and extensive acquirements caused him to be ranked among the flrst men of the empire. In 1681 the Dominicans and Franciscans entered China, but their success was not very great. The cause of Christianity suffered a great loss in 1682 in the death of Sieu. In 1644 the Tartars completed the conquest of China, and with the Ming dynasty the Christian mis- sions almost expired. SchasJ,. however, by his genius and learning, rose into favor with the new dynasty, and by his influence obtained permission for 14 otlier mis- sionaries to enter the country, among whom was the cel- ebrated FerdinandYerbeest. The patron of Schaal died in 1662, and the minor, Kanghi, ascended the throne. The Jesuit star remained for a short time in the zenith, but Schaal was soon thrown into prison, and sentenced " to be cut into a thousand pieces." This decree was not executed ; Schaal died in 1669, in the 78th year of his age. Another missionary died in prison, and sev- eral Franciscans and 21 Jesuits were lianishcMi to Can-
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ton. TerbeeBt became a IkTorite of the emperor Kan- ^ after lie bad dismiflsed the regents and asaomed rapreme controL Satiafled of the great abilities of Yerbeesty Kanghi commanded him to correct the cal- endar, which he did with entire satisfM^on to the em- peror. He was appointed president of the Astronom- ical Tribunal. He cast many cannon, and in other ways rendered himself senriceable to government.
(8.) For some time after this the missions prospered. In 1708 they numbered 100 churches and 100,000 con- verts in the province of Nankin alone. But in 1784, not only the Jesuits, but all Boman missionaries, were expelled. Yet many congregations survived under protracted persecutions. Native priests were, trained both in seminaries in China and in Europe (in the Propaganda at Borne and in a Chinese seminiuy at Na- ples), and many European missionaries were able to penetrate into the interior. Not a few were put to death, but the missions survived. Since the treaties of 1859, which promise liberty of worship for both Ro- man Catholics and Protestants, great preparations have been made for extending the Bomanist missions. A few years ago, when China was divided into 20 Vi- cariates Apostolic, the Boman Catholic population of China amounted, according to the Univert, to about 800,000. Other Boman Catholic writers daim a much higher number, e. g. Hue, who estimates it at 700,000.
Since the treaty with France in 1858, the Roman Catholic missionaries claim to have received large accessions to their congregations, and to have a total membership in their Church of about one million. The number of missionaries, especially French, who have since been sent to China, is considerable. On January 1, 1867, a new cathedral was consecrated at Pekin, which is one of the largest buildings of the cap- ital. A bloody persecution of Roman Catholic mis- sionaries took place in 1866 in one of the dependencies of China, Corea. See Corba.
According to the ** Roman Almanac" for 1859 (Noti- sieper tAimo 1859), there were in China 22 Vicariates Apostolic and 8 Prefectures Apostolic, viz. : 1. Shen- si, Franciscans ; 2. Shan-si, Franciscans; 8. Hu-pei, Franciscans; 4. Hu-nan, Franciscans; 5. Su-tchuen (North-eastern), Foreign Missionary Seminary of Par- is ; 6. Su-tchuen (South-eastern), Foreign idssionaiy Seminary of Paris; 7. Kouei-Kou; 8. Lassa; 9. Ko- Konor ; 10. Tu-nan, Foreign Missionary Seminary of Paris ; 11. Fokeen, Spanish Dominicans ; 12. Nankin, Jesuits ; 18. Pekin ^ortliem), Lazarists ; 14. Pekin (South-western), Lazarists ; 15. Pekin (Eastern), Jes- uits ; 16. Tcheh-Kiang, Lazarists ; 17. Kiang-si, Laz- arists ; 18. Leao-tung, Foreign Missionary Society of Paris ; 19. Tartar Mongolia, Foreign Missionary Soci- ety of Paris; 20. Shan-toong, Franciscans ; 21. Honan, Lazarists; 22. Corea, Foreign Missionary Seminary of Paris. The 8 Prefectures are as follows: 1. Hong Kong, Propaganda of Rome ; 2. Kwang-tung, Kwang- si, and Hainan, Foreign Missionary Seminary of Par- is; 8. Labuan. The missions are mostly supported by the "Society for the Propagation of the Faith," which lias its centre in France. Special attention to Chinese missions is also paid by the ** Society of the Holy Childhood of Jesus, *' a children's missionary so- ciely for buying and baptizing those children who by their parents have been destined to death, and giving to them a Christian- education. The receipts of the society amounted in 1856 to 872,000 i^ancs. Up to that year 829,888 children had been bought and bap- tized, of whom 247,041 had died shortly after bap- tism.