THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
40C
with whom it is likely that the Roman Catholic Church has little to do. Since the American conquest, several Evangelical missionary societies have taken up the work here (see Philippine Islands). It is well known that in the seventeenth century the Jesuits, through a clever use of political conditions, and through a complacent attitude regarding heathen customs, enjoyed considerable success. It is said that there were at that time 6. China. 300,000 Roman Catholics in the empire. Against the Jesuits, because of their methods of compromise, accusations were made by the Dominicans and Franciscans, who entered the field in 1630; the Jesuits, however, persisted and abused their influence as favorites of the emperor so far as to cause the imprisonment of a papal legate. To the young heir apparent, Yung Ching, the intervention of the pope seemed to portend danger to the State, and he interdicted Christianity. This resulted in persecution and the number of Christians rapidly dwindled away. In spite of all, the Jesuits maintained themselves for a long time; even the repeated condemnation of their practises by the pope did not shake them. However, with the suppression of the order, the Roman Catholic mission in China became reduced to a small remnant. Only by the Peace of Nanking (1842) did the Roman Catholics secure an edict of toleration, and by the Peace of Peking the restoration of all the former church property was accorded. Under the protection of France, the Roman Catholic mission has much increased since that time; in cases of local persecution, heavy pecuniary indemnities were enforced. Externally also the cause is favored in that the dignitaries of the church are accorded the rank of mandarins, so that the native converts are withdrawn from Chinese jurisdiction. For this very reason, however, many doubtful characters are drawn to the Roman Catholic Church.
There are in China, according to Die katholische Kirche, p. 256, 39 vicariates and 2 prefectures, in the five following groups: (1) Pechili (1. North, 2. East, 3. Southwest, 4. Southeast); Manchuria (5. South, 6. North, 7. East); Mongolia (8. East, 9. Central, 10. Southwest) and 11. North Honan. (2) 12. Kulja; 13. Kansu; Shensi (14. North and 15. South); 16. Shansi (according to Missiones Catholicce there are two vicariates, North and South, both under Franciscans); and Shantung (17. North, 18. East, 19. South). (3) 20. Che-Kiang; 21. South Honan; Hunan (22. North, 23. South); Hupe (24. Northwest, 25. East, 26. Southwest); 27. Kiangnan; Kiangsi (28. North, 29. South, 30. East). (4) 31. Kweiohow; Szechuen (32. Northwest, 33. East, 34. South); 35. Yunnan; 36. Tibet. (5) 37. Fukhien; 38. Amoy; 39. Hongkong; and the prefectures 40. Kwangsi and 41. Kwangtung. The missions are carried on by the following organizations, whose fields are indicated by the affixed numbers.
Priests. Converts.
1. Paris Seminary (5, 6, 31-36, 40, 41). . . 313 235,973
2. Lazarists (1-3, 20, 28-30) 115 128,563
3. Jesuits (4, 27) 168 168,921
4. Franciscans (14, 16-18, 23-26) 126 109,428
5. Dominicans (37, 38) 43 42,684
6. Augustinians (22) 8 215
7. Milanese Seminary (11, 21, 39) 39 22,200
8. Roman Seminary (15) 13 9,180
9. Scheutveld Congregation (8-10, 12, 13). 84 30,3<:2 10. Steyl Seminary (19) 33 15, 1X2
Total 942 7t>2,7.r.N
The Missiones Catholicce gives the following figuren: 720,- 540 converts, 734 stations, 904 priests, 471 native priest*, 3,584 schools, 65,990 scholars, 239 sisters. (EvangHii :il: 205,747 converts, 478 stations, 973 missionaries, 207 nati ' pastors, 1,823 schools, 37,057 scholars.)
Korea (q.v.) received, in 1784, the first missionaries, who soon obtained numerous adherents. Bitter persecution, in which three bishops and eleven priests were martyred, hindered all
7. Korea further development. In 1831 the and Japan, vicariate was founded and assigned to the Paris Seminary. Since Japanese influence has supplanted that of China and there is greater security in the land, the Roman Catholic mission is rapidly spreading. The Missiones Catholicce gives the following figures: 35 stations, 39 priests, 9 native priests, 59 schools, 481 scholars.
Francis Xavier began the mission in Japan in 1549, but had little success. His followers were able to connect their interests with those of a political party, whose victory they shared. Numerous missionaries came to the land and gained as many as 600,000 converts. A change in the political situation resulted in severe persecutions, and in 1641 the last missionaries were removed from the country. Only after America had brought about the opening of the empire was the mission renewed. The missionaries of the Paris Seminary work in four dioceses: the archdiocese of Tokyo and the dioceses of Osaka, Nagasaki, and Hakodate.
Out of a population of 47,812,138 there are 55,453 Roman Catholics, 86 stations, 115 priests, 32 native priests, 36 schools, 2,826 scholars (among these 2,041 girls), 35 lay brothers, and 109 sisters are reported. (Evangelical: 145 stations, 237 missionaries, 297 native pastors, 85,715 Christians, 104 schools, 7,141 scholars — among these 851 girls.)
For all Asia: 2,966,142 Roman Catholics * (1,583,796 Evangelical Christians), 1,930 stations (1,632), 2,348 priests (2,632), 1,368 native priests (5,809), 8,358 schools (10,768), — scholars t (413,428).
3. America: In this treatment account is taken only of missions to Negroes and Indians; no consideration is given to the growth of the Church among the white population, of which Missiones CatholicoB reports a membership of 10,309,970.
The Roman mission to the Indians, according to the reports of the Missiones Catholicce, must be a very limited one. From many regions once belonging to Spain, a number of Roman
1. United Catholics from an earlier period are States and noted, with the remark that they have British entirely relapsed into barbarism. Con- North cerning other regions see the appended
America, tables; Die katholische Kirche counts 98,638; the Year Book treating of the Indian regions, 74,468. These later figures can be reached only by including the older adherents who have relapsed into barbarism (the Evangelical Indians number 74,468). Little can be learned regarding the success of the mission among the Negroes; the Missiones Catholicce contains only isolated statements. According to Die katholische Kirche, in 25 dioceses, out of 4,914,000 Negroes there are 145,000 Roman Catholics, with 46 churches, 48 priests, 111 schools, and 8,533 scholars. At an early period Jesuits from the French colony did zealous mission work among the Indians of British Eorth America (see Indians of North America,
* The 534,000 Roman Catholics who are not subject to the Propaganda, but under Portuguese jurisdiction, and the (>,5(i0,000 said to be in the Philippines are omitted.
t The statistics regarding scholars are so imperfect that they can not be reckoned.