Roman Catholic Diocese of Kaohsiung
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kaohsiung (Lat: Dioecesis Kaohsiungensis) is a diocese
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
in Taiwan
.
The diocese has the distinction of being the first Catholic ecclesiastical territory erected on the island of Taiwan. Created as the Apostolic Prefecture of the Island of Formosa in 1913, the name was changed to the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaohsiung
in 1949. In 1961, the Prefecture was elevated to a full diocese, and became a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Taipei
.
The current bishop is Peter Liu Cheng-chung, appointed in January 2006. In November of 2009, he was given the "ad personam" (personal) title of archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI
.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
The diocese has the distinction of being the first Catholic ecclesiastical territory erected on the island of Taiwan. Created as the Apostolic Prefecture of the Island of Formosa in 1913, the name was changed to the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
in 1949. In 1961, the Prefecture was elevated to a full diocese, and became a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Taipei
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Taipei
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Taipei is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Taiwan. Pope Pius XII erected it as the Apostolic Prefecture of Taipei on December 30, 1949, and elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on August 7, 1952,...
.
The current bishop is Peter Liu Cheng-chung, appointed in January 2006. In November of 2009, he was given the "ad personam" (personal) title of archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.
Ordinaries
- Clemente Fernández, O.P. † (1913 Appointed - 1921 Died)
- Thomas de la Hoz, O.P. † (27 Jul 1921 Appointed - 1935 Died)
- Joseph Arregui y Yparaguirre, O.P. † (5 Mar 1948 Appointed - 1961 Died)
- Joseph Cheng Tien-Siang, O.P. † (21 Mar 1961 Appointed - 19 Aug 1990 Died)
- Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, S.J. (4 Mar 1991 Appointed - 5 Jan 2006 Retired)
- Peter Liu Cheng-chung (5 Jan 2006 Succeeded - )