KOREA
KOREA
Except for the brief temporary existence of a small Christian Japanese community in the southern part of the country in the 1590's, there was no Catholic presence in Korea until the last part of the 18th century, when Korean intellectuals introduced the religion in the country. At first, the Catholic Korean community - formally founded in 1784 - was a purely indigenous and lay affair, free from western missionary interference. But at its own request it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Chinese diocese of Beijing in 1792 and a first Chinese priest was sent to Korea two years later. In the course of the first years of the 19th century the community became subject to several persecutions (1801, 1815, 1827). In an attempt to protect it, the Holy See detached Korea from Beijing in 1831 and created a separate Apostolic Vicariate of Korea. (1) (1) Persecutions - culminating in the one of the period 1866 - 1872 - continued however until 1884 when a French-Korean treaty ending them was signed. The Catholic community then became very influential and after the Japanese take-over of 1910 it became closely associated with the Korean nationalist movement. In the 1940's the church came under very tight Japanese supervision and except for the Germans, the western leaders of the community were replaced by Japanese or Koreans. Vicars Apostolic 1843 - 1853 Jean Joseph Jean-Baptiste Ferréol, Titular Bishop of Belline in Phoenicia I 1808 - 1853 1854 - 1866 Saint (1984) Simeon François Berneux, Titular Bishop of Capsa in Byzancena 1814 - 1866 1866 Marie Antoine Nicolas Daveluy, Titular Bishop of Akka in Phoenicia I 1818 - 1866 1866 - 1869 ... (period of the great persecution) 1869 - 1884 Felix Clair Ridel, Titular Bishop of Philippopolis in Arabia 1830 - 1884 1884 - 1890 Jean-Marie Gustave Blanc, Titular Bishop of Antigonea in Hellespontus, acting since the departure of Ridel in 1882 1844 - 1890 1890 - 1911 Gustave Charles Marie Mutel, Titular Bishop of Milos in the Provincia Insularum 1854 - 1933 In 1911 the Vicariate of Korea was divided into the new vicariates of : - Seoul - Taiku __________________________________________________________________________________SEOUL
The Apostolic Vicariate of Seoul (in present-day South Korea) was created in 1911 out of the pre-existing Vicariate of Korea. Vicars Apostolic 1911 - 1933 Gustave Charles Marie Mutel, Titular Bishop of Milos in the Provincia Insularum until 1923, then of Mopsuestia in Cilicia I until 1926, then Titular Archbishop of Ratiaria in Dacia Ripensis s.a. 1933 - 1942 Andrien Joseph Larribeau, Titular Bishop of Dusa in Numidia 1883 - 1974 1942 - 1962 Paul Marie Kinam Ro, Titular Bishop of Colbasa in Pamphylia II, continued as archbishop of Seoul until 1967 1902 - 1984 In the 1920's and 1930's three new jurisdictions were detached from Seoul : - Wonsan - Hpyeng-yang - Shunsen __________________________________________________________________________________TAIKU
The Apostolic Vicariate of Taiku (now Daegu in present-day South Korea) was created in 1911 out of the pre-existing Vicariate of Korea. Vicars Apostolic 1911 1938 Florian Jean-Baptiste Démange, Titular Bishop of Adrasus in Isauria 1875 - 1938 1938 - 1942 Jean Germain Mousset, Titular Bishop of Irenopolis in Isauria 1876 - 1958 1942 - 1946 Irenaeus Hayasaka In 1937 two new jurisdictions were detached from Taiku : - Kwoszu - Zenshu __________________________________________________________________________________KANKO/HAMHEUNG
The Apostolic Vicariate of Wonsan (now Hamhung in North Korea) was detached from Seoul in 1920. In 1940 the Abbey of Tokugen/Tokwon (s.b.) was detached from its jurisdiction and Wonsan was renamed Kanko/Hamheung. Vicar Apostolic and Apostolic Administrator 1920 - 1950 Bonifatius (Josef) Sauer, Titular Bishop of Appiaria in Moesia Inferior. Vicar Apostolic of Wonsan until 1940 then Abbot of the Abbey Nullius of Tokugen/Tokwon (s.b.) and Apostolic Administrator of Kanko/Hamcheung, arrested by the new North Korean authorities in 1949 1877 - 1950 __________________________________________________________________________________HEIJO
The Apostolic Prefecture of Hpyeng-yang - renamed Peng-yang in 1929 - was detached from Seoul in 1927. In 1939 it was elevated to the rank of an Apostolic Vicariate and adopted the name Heijo (now Pyongyang in North Korea). Prefects Apostolic of Hpyeng-yang/Peng-yang 1927 - 1929 Patrick Joseph Byrne 1888 - 1950 1930 - 1936 John E. Morris 1936 - 1938 William Booth 1938 - 1939 William F. O'Shea 1884 - Vicars Apostolic of Heijo 1939 - 1941 William F. O'Shea, Titular Bishop of Naissus in Dacia Mediterranea, arrested by the Japanese after the outbreak of WWII s.a. 1941 - 1944 none Administrators 1942 Paul Marie Kinam Ro, Vicar Apostolic of Seoul s.a. 1942 - 1944 Francis Hong Yong-ho 1906 - 1944 - 1962 Francis Hong Yong-ho, Titular Bishop of Auzia in Mauritania Caesariensis, arrested by the new authorities of North Korea in 1949 and deported in 1950. (2) (2) Still listed as "deported" in the Annuario Pontificio of 1961. He was nevertheless elected first bishop of Pyongyang - as Heijo was now named - in 1962. Although there had been no further news on him since that year, he was still listed as "missing bishop" in 2001. But as at that time he already was in his 90's, it can not be excluded that he was already dead at that moment. __________________________________________________________________________________KWOSZU
In 1937 the Apostolic Prefecture of Kwoszu (at the present Kwangju in South Korea) was detached from Taiku. Prefects Apostolic 1937 - 1941 Owen McPolin, arrested by the Japanese after the outbreak of WWII 1889 - 1963 1941 - 1943 none Administrator 1942 - 1943 Paul Jae-yong Ju, Apostolic Prefect of Zenshu 1943 - 1945 Thomas Asagoro Wakita 1881 - 1965 __________________________________________________________________________________ZENSHU
In 1937 the Apostolic Prefecture of Zenshu (today Chŏnju/Jeon Ju in South Korea) was detached from Taiku. Prefects Apostolic 1937 - 1942 Stephen Yang-hong Kim 1942 - 1947 Paul Jae-yong Ju s.a. __________________________________________________________________________________SHUNSEN
In 1939 the Apostolic Prefecture of Shunsen (now Ch'unch'on in South Korea) was detached from Seoul. Apostolic Administrators 1939 - 1940 Owen McPolin, Prefect Apostolic of Kwoszu s.a. 1940 - 1941 Thomas F. Quinlan, arrested by the Japanese after the outbreak of WWII 1896 - 1970 1942 - 1945 Paul Maria Kinam Ro, Vicar Apostolic of Seoul s.a. __________________________________________________________________________________TOGUKEN/TOKWON
In 1909 German monks established a priory in Seoul as a center of their missionary work in the peninsula. The priory became an abbey in 1913 and in 1927 its seat was transferred to Toguken/ Tokwon in the Apostolic Vicariate of Wonsan, now the main zone of activity of the Germans. As a consequence of its importance the abbey was detached from the jurisdiction of the vicariate in 1940 and became an Abbey Nullius. Abbot of the Abbey Nullius of Toguken/Tokwon 1940 - 1950 Bonifatius (Josef) Sauer, Titular Bishop of Appiaria in Moesia Inferior. (Prior of the Priory of Seoul 1909 - 1913, Abbot of the Abbey of Seoul 1913 - 1927, Vicar Apostolic of Wonsan 1920 - 1940, Abbot of the Abbey of Toguken/Tokwon 1927 - 1940), also Apostolic Administrator of Kanko/Hamcheung since 1940, arrested by the new North Korean authorities in 1949 s.a.
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