Diocese of Changde
diocese of the Catholic Church in China
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Changde (Latin: Ciamtean(us), Chinese: 常德) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Changsha, in Central China, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Its episcopal see is the city of Changde.
It is vacant since 1965, but has an Apostolic administrator since 2012.
History
Established on 19 September 1879 as Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Hunan 湖南北境, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Hunan 湖南
Renamed on 3 December 1924, after its see, as Apostolic Vicariate of Changde 常德 / Changteh / de Changteh (Latin)
Lost territory repeatedly : on 1925.03.13 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Chenzhou 辰州, on 1931.05.06 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Lixian 澧縣 and on 1931.05.07 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Yueyang 岳陽
Promoted on 11 April 1946 as Diocese of Changde 常德 / Changteh / Ciamtean(us) (Latin)
Episcopal ordinaries
(all Roman rite)
Apostolic Vicars of Northern Hunan 湖南北境
Pro-Apostolic Vicar Father Elías Suárez, Augustinians (O.E.S.A.) (born Spain) (1879.09.19 – retired 1884.07.25), died 1885
Pro-Vicar Apostolic Saturnino de La Torre Merino, Augustinians (O.E.S.A.) (born Spain) (1884.07.25 – 1896), died 1916
Luis Pérez y Pérez (born Spain) (10 March 1896 – death 15 April 1910), Titular Bishop of Corycus (1896.03.10 – 1910.04.15)
Father Agustín González, O.E.S.A. (born Spain) (1910.05.18 – 1911.06.20 not possessed), Titular Bishop of Adraha (1910.05.18 – 1911.06.20 not possessed)
Juvencio Hospital de la Puebla, O.S.A. (born Spain) (18 September 1911 – retired March 1917), Titular Bishop of Caunas (1911.09.18 – death 1957.10.04)
Angel Diego y Carbajal, O.S.A. (born Spain) (22 March 1917 – 3 December 1924 see below), Titular Bishop of Calœ (1917.03.22 – death 1940.06.28)
Apostolic Vicars of Changde 常德
Angel Diego y Carbajal, O.S.A. (see above December 2, 1924 – retired November 16, 1938)
Gerardo Faustino Herrero Garrote, O.S.A. (11 December 1939 – 11 April 1946 see below), Titular Bishop of Zorolus (1939.12.11 – 1946.04.11)
Suffragan Bishops of Changde 常德
Gerardo Faustino Herrero Garrote, O.S.A. (see above 11 April 1946 – death 23 April 1965)
Michael Yan Gao-jian (楊高堅), O.S.A. (1958 – ?), without papal mandate
Apostolic Administrator Methodius Qu Ai-lin (屈藹林) (2012 – ...), while Metropolitan Archbishop of Changsha 長沙 (China) (2012 - ...); also Apostolic Administrator of its three suffragan dioceses Yuanling 沅陵 and Hengzhou 衡州, Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Lixian 澧縣 (China), Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Yongzhou 永州, Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Yueyang 岳陽, Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Xiangtan 湘潭, Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Baoqing 寶慶 (all China, all 2012 - ...)..
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Diocese of Changde” as diocese of the Catholic Church in China. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as diocese of the Catholic Church in China. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 24, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q867792. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1965, 2012, 1879 and 1924.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Diocese of Changde”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Diocese of Changde primary sources, Diocese of Changde archive and Diocese research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Diocese of Changde”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Diocese of Changde” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.