The Development And Decline Of Canton Catholicism During Late Ming Dynasty And Early Qing Dynasty

This thesis deals systematically with the development and decline of Canton Catholicism during the late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty. The research puts its focus on the causation of the development and decline of Canton Catholicism so as to analyses the connections and distinctions between the Canton Catholic church and inland Catholic churches. The thesis consists of three chapters.Chapter I gives a general description of the activity of Catholic missioners in Canton during the late Ming dynasty, and analyses the pertinent relation between the colonial activity of Portuguese along the coast of Canton and the entrance of the missioners into inland of China. This period can be divided into two stages, signaled by the Portuguese settlement in Macao. In the first stage, missioners came to the Portuguese commercial beachheads along the coast of Canton and waited for a suitable chance to enter Canton city. In the second stage, the growing trades between Canton and Macao provided the missioners an opportunity to enter into inland of China. Chapter II systematically investigates the development of Canton Catholicism under the rule of Emperor Shunzhi and Emperor Kangxi. In the early years of the rule of Shunzhi, the political situation of Canton was very chaotic. However, it is during this period that the missioners were permitted to build church and preach. When the rebels were put down, Catholicism progressed very rapidly in Canton. Especially after Emperor Kangxi, who was interested in Western civilization, came into power, Catholicism in Canton entered into a golden age. ChapterIII discusses the causation of Emperor Yongzheng's ban on the developmentof Canton Catholicism. Drawing to the end of the first year under the rule of Emperor Yongzheng, the imperial government issued an order of ban on missions. Missioners, except for those employed by the imperial government, were banished to Macao. Later, under the plea of missioners like Ignatius Kogler etc., missioners in different provinces who were to be expelled were granted to stay in Canton. However, they were forbidden to preach the gospel and go to places at will. In the tenth year of Emperor Yongzheng's period, due to the detest of the local government officials to the flourish of underground preaching, a new ban on Catholicism was carried out. All the missioners staying in Canton were expelled. Again, under the plea of missioners serving in the imperial court, three missioners were allowed to return to Canton. From then on, Catholicism in Canton had declined rapidly.