Diocese of Kangding

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Diocese of Kangding

The Diocese of Kangding (Latin: Dioecesis Camtimensis; Chinese: 天主教康定教區) is a Latin Catholic diocese in western China. It is part of the ecclesiastical province of Chongqing and reports to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

It was established on March 27, 1846, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Lhasa for the Tibet Mission. Its episcopal see is in Kangding, also known as Tatsienlu or Dartsedo.

The former Sacred Heart Cathedral in Kangding (built in 1912) was demolished during the Cultural Revolution and a smaller church with the same name was opened in 1997. The diocese has been sede vacante (without a bishop) since 1962. The current pope listed is Leo XIV.

Geography and jurisdiction: The diocese covers the western part of Sichuan province and, in theory, the entire Tibet Autonomous Region. It includes parts of Garzê and Ngawa prefectures, areas in Yunnan (Dêqên, Shangri-La, Weixi), and counties and cities in the Tibet region such as Chamdo, Lhoka, and Nagqu. It borders many other Chinese dioceses and prefectures.

Rite and demographics: All rites in the Roman Rite of the Latin Church. As of 1950, about 5,870 Catholics lived in an area of about 4,000,000 people (roughly 0.1%).