Introduction

The history of catholic hierarchy in China begins in the year 1307 with the appointment of Giovanni de Montecorvino as bishop of Khanbalik. Chinese clericalists and missionaries from Europe and overseas governed and still govern today the gradually developing dioceses, apostolic vicariats, administrations, prefectures and missions in China. Many of them died as martyrs, spent decades in prison and labour camps or were and still are restrained within the exertion of their function.  

This work contains research material of various historians who independently collected and investigated data and photos of bishops and priests over decades.  

The work on China by Father Isidore Perraud, C.S.Sp. (1907-1992, France) forms the basis for these websites. Over many years he collected data and facts as well as numerous photos, paintings and engravings of bishops in China. Father Perraud put a special focus on data of the bishop consecration, containing date and place of consecration as well as the names of the consecrators. His research (~ 1950-91) with data from all Chinese bishops since 1307 also includes the appointed bishops of the catholic patriotic association since 1957. Biographic data and photo material which Father Perraud evaluated, are mostly without any references. However his data still functions as a basis and was substituted by footnotes only when the author used additional references or used other data.  

Dr. Manfred Kierein (Austria) and Charles Bransom (USA), two internationally accredited specialists for underground churches and consecration lines, who conducted already years ago research on biographies of bishops and information about secret bishop consecrations, whilst the public did not even know about the existence of underground bishops in China.  

I would like to extend my compliment and thank you to all of them. 

Since 1990 I have been studying the history of Chinese bishops myself. The focus of my research is on bishops in China since 1957. 

With the works of Manfred Kierein and Charles Bransom I updated Father Perrauds research. Due to obvious reasons, the appointments and consecrations since 1957 of still living bishops are not published (except Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). However, I do hope that this will be published in the near future. 

My personal thank you goes to all people who assisted with the research of data and the correction of the websites. Besides Dr. Kierein and Charles Bransom I would like to mention especially Mr. Martin Wolters (Hamminkeln).  

I also would like to ask all readers of this website to correct or complete the published data under specification of the reference if need be. Because all of the people involved do not have any Chinese knowledge, family names and statements of place would certainly need to be corrected. As the here published photos do not have any captions, it would be interesting to know with whom the copyright lies. But due to the fact that the website has a scientific interest only, the author claims the right for publication of data and photos.  

Andreas Brender M.A.
26 January 2009 (Chinese New Year)