BackContentsNext

2. Western Central Africa
the Congo; this, however, was followed in the eighteenth century by a com- plete reversion to heathenism, with the retention of Christian forms, as soon as the Portuguese withdrew. In 1865, the Roman mission was taken up again by the Con gregation of the Holy Spirit. On the Gabun, a countermission to that of the American Protestants was started in 1842.

The vicariate of Gabon, on the boundary of Kamerun, has its most successful station in the model colony of Libreville. Of the other nine stations, some are far in the interior, where they compete with the Protestant mission which has beentaken over by the Paris society. It has 34 priests, 20 lay brothers, 27 sisters, 12,000 Roman Catholics. The vicariates of the Lower French Kongo and of the Up per French Bongo are both entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. From Brazzaville, the seat of the vicar of the Upper Kongo, the work is carried on among the cannibal tribes living on the Ubanghi. They report 14 scholars, 50priests,3,500Catholics. The vicariate of the BeIglan

Kongo (northern part) has 15 stations of the Congregation Scheutveld on the great river up to Stanley Falls, with 62 priests and 3,516 Catholics. The vicariate of the Upper Bongo (eastern part of Kongo Free State) is assigned to the White Fathers who work with 16 priests in 5 stations and have, in addition to 2,371 converts over 5 000 candidates for baptism (1901). The Prefecture Uelle, on the river of the same name, founded in 1898, has 2 stations of the Belgian Premonstrants with 12 priests and 600 converts. The prefecture on the Lower Kongo embraces the region of the old Kongo Mission, with 9 stations, 21 priests, and 5,689 Catholics. The prefecture of Upper Cimbebasia in Benguella is under the Fathers of the Holy Spirit, and has 6 stations with 16 priests and 5,000 converts. The totals are 67 stations (67), 204 priests (167), 4,070 scholars (6,737), among these 948 girls (2,845), 39,015 Roman Catholics (11,354).

The prefecture of Lower . Cimbebasia in the northern part of German Southwest Africa has been since 1892 a field of the Oblates of the Immaculate Conception, as is also the vicariate of 3. South the Orange River. In Cape Colony and East there are the vicariates of the western Africa. and eastern districts between which lies the prefecture of the central district. The results, since 1837, appear to be slight. After completing the imperfect returns, the number of colored Roman Catholics may be estimated at 2,400. The propaganda here seems to be carried on principally among the whites, besides which there is great activity in education. The vicariate of Natal has been since 1850 in the hands of the Oblates of the Immaculate Conception, and the German Trappists have extensive agricultural and industrial enterprises. The vicariate of the Orange Free State (now East Colony) has been assigned, since 1884, to the above-named, as bas the prefecture of Basutoland, where a successful French Protestant mission has operated since 1883; the greater part of the 6,000 Catholics now counted were probably derived from its adherents. The prefecture of the Transvaal has been under the same congregation since 1886. How many Europeans are among the 6,200 Roman Catholics is not apparent.

Totals for South Africa are: 82 stations (580), 174 priests (574), 161 schools (1,400), 7,493 scholars (87,421)*, among these 3,565 girls (36,333), 12,200 colored Roman Catholics (333,984). In East Africa, with eastern Central Africa, is the Zambesi mission of the Jesuits (since 1879), bounded by the Transvaal and by the Kongo Free State, with 3 stations and 1,200 converts. The number of native converts is unknown. The prefecture of Nyassa,west of the lake, has been a field of the White Fathers since 1897. The prefecture of Southern Zanzibar, in the southeastern part of German East Africa, is under the German Benedictines. In the vicariate of Tanganyika, on the eastern shore of the lake, the White Fathers have their seminary. It reports 2,436 catechumens. The vicariate of Northern Zanzibar embraces the northeastern part of German East Africa and the eastern portion of the British sphere of influence, and is worked by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and the Trappists. There is great activity in education, and the number of Roman Catholics increased rapidly from their 5,000 scholars. On the west this vicariate is bounded by Uganda, where there are the following missionary districts: The vicariate of the Upper Nile under the English Brotherhood of Mill Hill; the vicariate of the Northern Victoria Nyanza, under the White Fathers; and the vicariate of the Southern Victoria Nyanza. The Roman mission had reaped a rich harvest from the remarkable movement of Christianization initiated by the older Protestant mission among the Baganda, and they have also made a clever use of the political conditions. The statistics give, for North-

*Statistics are lacking in reference to the former Boer Republics.

397

ern Victoria Nyanza alone, 39,586 Roman Catholics and 166,150 catechumens. . The vicariate of Unianyembe in German East Africa is under the White Fathers, with 1,133 converts, 6,755 catechumens. For East Africa the totals are: 63 stations (128), 162 priests (239), 89 lay brothel, 64 sisters, 107 schools (227), 7,771 scholars (33,060), among these 3,578 girls (11,852), 69,288 adherents (46,639 Christians).

The vicariate of the Galla regions is bounded by that of North Zanzibar. The Capuchins have been at work there since 1846. The vicar 4. North has his seat in Harrar, and reports one Africa, seminary, 7,000 converts. The pre African fecture of Rrythrma, in the Italian Islands. protectorate, was transferred in 1894 to the Capuchins as a branch of the vicariate of Abyssinia. There the Lazarists have worked since 1838 under serious difficulties. During the conflicts with the Italians, the mission was interrupted. The Ethiopic ritual is permitted here.

After the separation from Erythreea (with 7,900 adherents) there remain 4,000 converts; formerly 30,000 were counted. The vicariate of Egypt has a Roman Catholic population of 78,580, of whom 56,000 follow the Coptic rite and 20,500 the Latin. There are numerous stations of various congregations. The vicariate of the Nile Delta is especially in the charge of the Lyons mission. The vicariate of Tripoli has been since 1654 a missionary field of the Franciscans, and reports 7,450 adherents. In the vicariate of Morocco the Franciscans were active in the Middle Ages. The mission was renewed in 1859, and reports 6,260 converts.

In the prefecture of the Sudan Austrian priests began the work about the middle of the last century on the White Nile; the task was transferred to the missionary seminary of Verona in 1872. Because of the war with the Mahdi the work was abandoned for a long period, and it was resumed only in 1898 with the occupation of Omdurman. The vicariate of the Sahara has been occupied since 1868 by the white Fathers, whose work is largely preparatory. Of all the Roman Catholic missions in North Africa only the last-named and those to the Galls can be looked upon as real missions (among non-Christians). On this basis there are reckoned 15 stations, 45 priests, 14 lay brothers, 24 sisters, ,18 schools, 574 scholars, 175 girls ("), and 7,000 converts. The Miniones Catholicm report 108,930 of whom the greater part by far did not come from heathenism but represent those drawn from other Christian confessions and their descendants. In the African Islands the prefecture of Annobom, Corisko and Fernando po is worked by Spanish missionaries who report 3,400 converts. The vicariate of North Madagascar is occupied by priests of the Holy Spirit. The vicariate of South Madagascar affords work for the Lazarists. In the vicariate of Central Madagascar the Jesuits have worked for a long time as competitors of the Evangelical mission. As early as 1886, 84,000 Roman Catholics were reported there, later only 41,135. Since the French conquest the communities have grown considerably, as the Evangelical Christians, threatened with severe pressure from without, were led in great numbers to Catholicism. The last statement of the Miasiones Catholicce gives 61,500 coma municants and 258,956 catechumens. Recently the civil authorities have given less aid to the mil. sion. In the Prefecture of Mayotta No9816 and the Comores there are many color Christiaiig from Rdunion, who can not be regarded as fruits of the mission of to-day and are therefore not counted here.

The totals for the islands are: 28 stations (85), 90 priests (88), 82 lay brothers, 61 sisters, 863 schools (2,247), 148,503 scholars (136,980), among these 68,509 girls (34,201), 64,900 Roman Catholics (138,216); and for all Africa 328 stations (1,070), 833 priests (1,275 ordained Evangelical missionaries), 13 native priests * (890), 796 lay brothers, 927 sisters, 1,382 schools (4,718); 187,105 scholars (307,357), among these 80,981 girls (98,766), 242,136 Roman Catholics (699,899).

8. Asia: The Roman Catholic mission in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Arabia, and Persia (with 145,580 adherents) is here omitted on the ground that the work in these countries is directed only to the winning of Christians from other confessions (Syrians, Chaldeans, Armenians), as is done in part by the Protestants who work there.

With the Portuguese colonization in the sixteenth century, a mission of the Franciscans and Dominicans was immediately combined, but proved unsuccessful. When, in 1534, the bishopric of Goa was erected but few communities 1. Eastern existed in spite of the efforts of the and South- Inquisition. Francis Xavier (q.v.), ern India. who arrived here in 1542 with two Jesuits, worked chiefly among the degenerate and coarsely immoral white population. It was only in the southeastern region of India, Tinnevelli, whither the Portuguese had gone to give aid against the Mohammedan conquerors, that Xavier succeeded in baptizing great numbers of heathen from among the lower castes-10,000 in one month. He had similar success in Madura and Travancore. It is, however, characteristic that Xavier left this field at the end of a few years in order to labor elsewhere, and begged the king of Portugal to transfer the work of spreading Christianity to the secular officials. Other Jesuits came, however, but their work led to the planting of only the outward forms of the Roman Catholic Church. When Goa was raised to an archbishopric in 1557, 300,000 Catholics were counted in the Portuguese colony, and this number was notably increased in 1599 by the incorporation of a number of Christians of St. Thomas of Melapur (see Nestorians). Up to this time the converts had come from the lowest castes; but after 1606, Roberto de' Nobili was able to bring the Brahmins into the Roman Catholic Church, As was the case with Hindu founders of sects, he gained followers (30,000).

It is true that his policy of compromise was condemned by the pope, but it was abandoned only after a long resistance on the part of the Jesuits.

In northern India they gained influence with the Grand Mogul Akbar, but bad no permanent suooees. With the founding of the Propaganda (q.v.), the work was taken up in many other parts of India and to a certain extent by other congregations (Carmelites and Capuchins). In the eighteenth century, the political conditions were unfavorable to the mission. With the suppression of the order of Jesus it nearly died out and there were few conversions. The masses of the Roman Catholics were neglected and constituted only a caste among the others. In the nineteenth century the mission was a The ststiatim appear to be fnomplete.

398

Missions to the Heathen

indeed revived, but the conflicts of the papacy with the Portuguese crown were for a long time a great hindrance to its success, until these disputes were settled by the concordat of 1886. The archdiocese of Goa, as well as the dioceses of Daman, Kotchin, and St. Thomas of Melapur, with 534,000 souls under the primate of Goa (patriarch of India), have remained under Portuguese jurisdiction. The other regions of British India are now subject to the Curia. The earlier apostolic vicariates have been changed into bishoprics, a few into archbishoprics. The largest number of Roman Catholics is found in the diocese of Madura, which stretches from Cape Comorin nearly to the river Cavery. More than four per cent of the Tamil population are Roman Catholics; the episcopal seat is Trichinopoli. In fifteen years, the number of converts had in-

dominate. The entire coast region up to the territory of Goa is included in the diocese of Mangalur, in which the Jesuits are zealous rivals 8. Western of the Evangelical Basel Mission. Be and North- yond the Ghats lies the bishopric of era India. Mysore, which, extending beyond the state of the same name, embraces peoples of various languages. Hyderabad is the last diocese in the region of the Dravidic peoples. Among the Arian population, the archdiocese of Calcutta stands out as the most successful. Above all, great numbers of the hill people of Chota Nagpur, among whom the Evangelical Gosaner Mission has worked for many years, have been won for Rome, principally by means of promises touching their social standing. The greater laxity permitted has also drawn many from the Evangelical Chris-

Popula- Missionary Field. Cath.  St.  Ch.  Sch.  Sem.  P.  N.P.  O.A. Congregation.
tion in
thousands.
5,000 1. D. Madura . .... .  206,000 37 980 239  51 24 10  Jesuits
5,000 2. Ad. Pondicherry . . . . .  133,770  51  275 80 1 77  27 19  Paris Seminary
3,000 3. D. Kumbakonam .  85,000 27 502 45  19 17 4  Paris Seminary
7,076 4. Ad. Madras . . . . . . . . . 44,870  29  142 76 1 23  22 6  Secular priests and Brothers of
2,028 5. D. Coimbatore .. 35,870 22 114 59 1 36 8 8  Paris Seminary JMill Hill
1,210 6. D. (~uilon.

.. ......

87,000 29 167 7 1 16 28 3  Bare-footed Carmelites
7. Ad. 
1,200 Verapoli

.....

59,700 41 53 149 1 13 32 5  Bare-footed Carmelites
3,709 8. D. Mangalore . ... . 83,690 34 73 64 1 34 47 15  Jesuits
5,500 9. D. Mysore . ........ 41,170 27 97 71 1 47 10 15  Paris Seminary
11,054 10. D. Hyderabad . .. .. 12,590 11 45 30 19 5  Milan Seminary
11. Ad.     127
21,000 Calcutta  45,290 32 290 15 77 27 7  Jesuits
17,000 12. D. Dacca . ... 11,000 6 22  8  8  Brothers of the Holy Cross
15,000 13. D. Krishnagar . .. . 4,050 6 43 18 8 6  Milan Seminary
14. D.     9
7,000 Assam . . . . . .. .. 1,340 7 9 27 9 5 6  Soc. of the Divine Redeemer
38,147 15. D. Allahabad  6,420 15 32  19   Capuchins.
13,000 .  4,025 11 11 13 15 11  Capuchins
16. Pf. Bettiah 
25,000 17. Ad. Agra.  8,095 24 36 19 1 35 2 12  Capuchins
14,200  18. Pf. Ralputana 3,650 9 14 5 1 12  5  Capuchins
,  19. D. Lahore

..

3,590 13 20 22 23 4  Capuchins
13,600 
2,000  20. Pf. Kafiristan.and.
Kashmir. 3,000  10 11 4 14 6  St. Joseph's of Mill Hill
12,380 21. Ad. Bombay  16,160 27 46 23  51 22 2  Jesuits
7,000 22. D. Puna .  13,000 22 38 98  21 10 2  Jesuits
15,500 23. D. Nagpur

.......

8,000 10 28 15  20 5 11 Salesians
9,000 24. D. Vizagapatam  12,915 14 59 25  18   Salesians
254,604  930,195  514  3,107  1,233 9  665  286  174
Under Portuguese iurisdio- 534,000
Catholics in Western India 1,464,195
Evangelical

...........

776,562 719 6,866 1,057 884 ,
Cath.-Roman Catholics, St.-stations, Ch.=churches, Sch.=schools, Sem.-seminaries, P.-priests, priests, O.A.-orphan asylums, D.=diocese, Ad.-archdiocese, Pf.-prefecture.

creased by twenty-five per cent. On the northern boundary is the archdiocese of Pondicherry, where adherents come principally from the French colonies. The southern portion was detached in 1899 as the diocese of Kumbakonam. The archdiocese of Madras embraces the northern part of the land of the Tamils and the southern part of that of the Telugus, while the diocese of Koimbatur includes the western portion of the land of the Tamils and is bounded by Madras. Nearly half of the Hindu Roman Catholics (forty-one per cent) belong to the above-mentioned dioceses, although the number of stations and priests is only a quarter of the aggregate.

On the west coast of India the Roman Catholics of Goa predominate. There are, however, in this region the following dioceses directly depending from Rome: Quilon in Travancore; on its northern boundary the archdiocese of Verapoli, which extends into Malabar. In both the United Syrians pre-

N.P. -native

tians to the Roman Catholics. As auffragan bishoprics Dacca and Krishnagar are detached from the archbishopric. The latter includes Lower Bengal as well as the eastern coast region of the Bay of Bengal as far as Akyab, with a Burmese population, and also extends up into the mountains, where dwell various aboriginal tribes. The greater number of stations are in places where Baptists had already been active at an earlier time. Kriahnagar, on the other hand, is a district north of Calcutta where, in 1839, thousands joined the Evangelical Church as a result of a remarkable movement. Later, many fell away, and this brought considerable socessions to the Roman Catholic mission. Assam is, since 1889, an apostolic vicariate; here the Roman mission has been less successful in its appeals to converts of the Evangelical missions here. The bishopric of Allahabad embraces the southeastern half of the United Provinces and Oudh. The Hindus and Mohammedans are unreceptive.

399

A detached prefecture is that of Bettiah, named after a successful station with extensive benevolent institutions. To it three districts and even Nepal are assigned. The northwestern half of the United Provinces includes the bishopric of Agra, where the Roman mission was active two and a half centuries ago, but had small success. The prefecture of Rajputana, with its seat in Ajmir, was separated in 1892. The diocese of Lahore also, formerly the vicariate of the Punjab, has been detached from Agra, from which the prefectures Hafiristan and Kashmir were separated later. The archdiocese of Bombay embraces Sindh, the northern Mahratta country and the intervening region. The rest of the Mahratta country has been detached as the diocese of Puna. To the east of this are the dioceses of Nagpur and Vizagapatam. In Nagpur, where 8,000 Roman Catholics were counted, there were, in 1900, no less than 30,827 baptisms. It is true that 28,930 baptisms, administered to children in peril of death, are included.

The statistical summary, on p. 398, of the missions in India is taken from the Miasiones Catholiue. It should be remarked that among Roman Catholics, Europeans and Eurasians are included; their number is placed at 79,661, according to the census of 1901. In this way the number of native-born Roman Catholics is reduced to 805,534. The Roman Catholics under Portuguese jurisdiction are given in the same source at 534,000. This statement can not be checked, nor can any figures be obtained in regard to other missionary work in the various fields. In all, the separate reports account for 398 lay brothers and 1873 sisters; among the latter are many native nuns.

Ceylon, as a British Crown Colony, is not connected with the Empire of India. Roman Catholicism gained much ground here under the Portu-

guese rule (1517-1658); during the 8. Ceylon. Dutch sovereignty (until 1796), the

Reformed religion was introduced by pressure from without. When the English brought religious freedom, it was not difficult to lead back great numbers of these migratory Christians to the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, the Roman Catholics who are to-day in Ceylon are only to a small extent the result of modern Roman missions. There are the following dioceses:

ENCYCLOPEDIA Missions to the Heath

The two former are assigned to the- Paris Seminary and the last to the Milanese. But of a population of 9,930,000 there are 56,600 Roman Catholics, 46 stations, 154 schools, 3 seminaries, 70 priests, 13 native priests, 42 lay brothers, and 62 sisters. Siam had, in the eighteenth century, a flourishing Roman Catholic mission, which died out under the Burmese rule, but was revived in 1840. Now it is a vicariate under the care of the Paris Seminary, with 22,000 Roman Catholics (out of five million inhabitants), 27 stations, 41 schools, 1 seminary, 36 priests, 14 native priests. The diocese of Laos, detached in 1888, has 9,430 Roman Catholics, 12 stations, 30 schools, 21 priests, and 4 native priests.

In the French possessions of to-day in Eastern India, the Jesuits (especially Alexander of Rhodes) had already won a great number of adherents at an earlier time by skilful use of the political conditions. Bitter persecution of the Christians induced France to intervene and to found its colonial domain, in which the Roman Catholic mission exerts a widereaching influence. In the eighteenth century Spanish Dominicans worked alongside of the Jesuits. This resulted in troublesome conflicts between them. Instead of the former, missionaries of the Paris Seminary have recently entered this field in Cambodia and Cochin China.

There are 10 apostolic vicariates, one in Cambodia, three in Cochin China, and six in Tonkin. Altogether, there are 840,760 Roman Catholics, out of twenty-three million inhabitants, with 370 stations, 353 priests, 494 native priests, 2,068 schools. The diocese of Xalaooa (under the Paris Seminary) has, out of 1,200,000 inhabitants, 19,830 Roman Catholics (among these some Chinese), 26 stations, 32 priests, 2 native priests, and 25 schools. All Eastern Asia ham, out of a population of forty-one millions, 948,650 Roman Catholics, and 481 stations, 512 priests, 527 native priests, 2,318 schools, about 134 lay b there and 541 sisters, among these some natives. (Evangelical: 127,707 Christians, 46 stations, 94 missionaries, 299 ordained natives, 599 schools.)

In the Dutch East Indies the Roman mission has only the prefecture of North Borneo, with Labuan (St. Joseph's Brotherhood of Mill Hill) and the vicariate of Batavia (Jesuits). The

5. Dutch former compete with the Anglicans Eastindies;in Sarawak (1,200 Roman Catholics), PhilipPines.the latter have 10 stations in Java, 4 in Sumatra, 3 in Celebes (where they work among the Evangelical population of the Minahassa-5,974 Roman Catholics), and 7 in Flores Diocese. Population in St Sch. Sem. P. N.P. O.A. Congregation thousands. Ad. Colombo ... 1,083 198,120 46 271 661 2 80 14 10 Of the Immaculate Conception D. Jaffna . .. . . . . . 892 42,500 23 202 108 1 34 10 2 Of the Immaculate Conception D. Kandy . . . 633 21,150 11 60 24 1 10 .19 5 Benedietines D. Galls . . . . . , . . . . . 748 6,300 5 37 34 12 Jesuits D. Trinkomallie 159 7,150 3 22 20 8 Jesuits 2.Olb 275,220 88 592 847 4 144 43 17 Evangel. mission 31,953 45 861 49 95

In addition there are 70 lay brothers and 308 sisters, the latter principally natives. The number of Roman Catholics has especially increased m the archdiocese of Colombo, where in 1889 there were 139,978, and in 1868, 102,222.

In Burma, where formerly different congregations had worked, without noteworthy success, Ro-

manism was first able to record im4. Eastern portant results under English rule.

Asia' There are here three vicariates: North Burma (6,000 converts), South Burma

(41,000 converts, among these not a few formerly Evangelical Karens), and East Burma (9,600 converts).

and Timor. The mtssfonw CatWicce reports 49,831 converts. According to Die katholiscAe Kirche there are among them only 22,382 Asiatic 40 stations, 63 priests, 48 schools, 28 lay brothers, and 259 sisters. The Philippines are not in the charge of the Propaganda. Die katholische Kirche states that many different- orders work here with a smaller number of secular priests. In 736 parishes and 105 missionary parishes, there were in round num-

bers 6,560,000 converts and 957 priests. According to this there would be only 590,000 heathen,

400

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).

BackContentsNext


CCEL home page
This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at
Calvin College. Last modified on 08/11/06. Contact the CCEL.
Calvin seal: My heart I offer you O Lord, promptly and sincerely