The church has a history of land disputes with various Chinese governments that has continued into the 21st century. Though the Qing government proscribed Christianity in 1724, some underground missionary activities remained, and the church was completed three years later. It was eventually confiscated by the Qing government, but returned in 1866 and rebuilt in 1884. It was closed in 1966 and reopened in 1980.
The cathedral combines Chinese and western architectural styles. It currently houses the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Yellow River Soup Kitchen, and also contains a relic of St. Francis of Assisi.
Naming
In English, the cathedral is known as "St. Francis Cathedral".[1][2] Other variations include "Cathedral of St. Francis" and "Francis of Assisi Cathedral".[3][4] The Chinese government calls the cathedral "Wuxing Street Catholic Church" (五星街天主教堂) in reference to its address.[5][6]
The cathedral is sometimes also known as Nan Tang (Chinese: 南堂; pinyin: Nán táng; lit. 'Southern Church / Cathedral') in Chinese because it is to the south of another older Catholic church in Xi'an.[5][6] The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China called it "South Cathedral" in one of their reports, and The Washington Post called it the "Southern Cathedral".[7][8]
History
Qing dynasty
Founding
According to History of Shaanxi: Religious History (陕西省志·宗教志), Catholicism first entered Shaanxi when the Italian missionary Giulio Aleni visited the province in 1620. In 1696, the Holy See made Shaanxi an apostolic vicariate and appointed Basilio Brollo [it], a Franciscan, as its first apostolic vicar. In 1704, Antonio Laghi, also a Franciscan, became apostolic administrator after Brollo's death.[6]
In 1716, Laghi instructed an Italian missionary known in Chinese as Daidi Ma (马戴第) to purchase a piece of land at Tudimiao Shizi (Chinese: 土地庙十字; lit. 'Tudi temple crossing') in Xi'an and build the St. Francis cathedral.[6] It was completed in 1727.[9][a]
Beginning in January 1724, Emperor Yongzheng banned Christianity in China. He banished all foreign missionaries in October of that year. However, some church activities remained hidden and continued for some time.[11] Laghi was expelled to Guangdong, but managed to come back to Xi'an secretly and died at the church in 1727, the year when the church was completed.[6] Another Franciscan priest at Xi'an, Francesco Saraceni, also hid and was not banished. However, churches were gradually closed in the Qing Empire.[11] The Xi'an church was confiscated by the government and turned into a civil property, and the local officials eventually sold the church building to three households.[9][6]
Return, rebuild, restoration
In 1860, the French required the Qing government to return all confiscated Catholic properties under the Convention of Peking. Many of the confiscated churches had either disappeared or were repurposed. According to Liu Xiang, the Qing government, still distrustful of foreign missionaries, reluctantly offered other properties as compensation to the Catholic missions.[6][12]
When the convention was signed, the cathedral was being used as the family home of the late Zhang Danan [zh] (张大枏).[13] In consideration of this, Liu Rong (刘蓉), the Xunfu of Shaanxi, offered the Catholic mission a mosque and five other houses instead of the church building. From 1862 to 1865, Chiais and his auxiliary Amato Pagnucci, unaware that the Zhang family was living in the cathedral, negotiated with the Shaanxi government for the return of the original building.[10][6] In 1866, after pressure from the French envoy to China and the Qing imperial court,[6] the Shaanxi government returned the church to the Catholic mission and paid 10,000 taels of silver to the widowed mother of Zhang.[13][6]
In 1883, on the grounds of the Zhang residence, Pagnucci built a new church building on the site with an area of 700 m2 (7,500 sq ft).[10][6] From 1906 to 1908, the apostolic vicar Atanasio Goethe restored and furnished the church. Goethe died of malaria in 1908 and was buried at the cathedral.[9][14]
Republic of China
In 1930, the apostolic vicar Fiorenzo Umberto Tessiatore decided to move the seat of the vicariate from Tongyuanfang Catholic Church [zh], Gaoling, to St. Francis Church in Xi'an. Thus the church became a cathedral.[15] In 1946, the apostolic vicariate of Xi'an became an archdiocese.[6]
People's Republic of China
During the Cultural Revolution, most churches in Shaanxi were closed down and many of the clergy were arrested.[6] The cathedral was appropriated by the Xi'an Candy Factory (Chinese: 西安糖果厂; pinyin: Xī'ān tángguóchǎng). Its accessory buildings were demolished and the cathedral was used as a warehouse.[9]
In 1980, China's State Council instructed the Chinese government to return buildings confiscated from religious bodies during the Cultural Revolution, and the cathedral re-opened. In 1989, the cathedral underwent restoration funded by China's State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Xi'an People's Government.[9] The diocese funded another round of restoration in 2004.[10]
Land dispute and attack on nuns in 2005
The Xi'an government did not return the primary school to the Catholic church as they believed the government needed to take over all basic education functions.[7] The local education bureau then closed the primary school in 2003 and sold the land to a developer. The church sued in an attempt to prevent this, asserting its ownership of the land.[8] The State Council passed new regulations on 1 March 2005 that guaranteed "additional protection of religious property", but it did not address the unreturned religious properties.[7]
On 23 November, the electricity of the cathedral was cut off, and a crew began to demolish the neighboring primary school at night. Thirty to forty nuns of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious order affiliated with the cathedral, tried to prevent further demolition to the wall between the cathedral and the school, but about 40 men in black attacked them, "knocking them down and beating them with clubs and sticks." Sixteen nuns were injured and at least five were hospitalized.[7][8][16]
On the following Sunday, 27 November, about 600 Xi'an Catholic parishioners carried banners and marched in protest. They only dispersed after officials promised to solve the problem. Mario Mauro, then a Vice-President of the European Parliament, issued a statement saying that European institutions "must quit basing its relations with China solely on the criteria of developing economic trade" and call for religious freedom in China. Maurizio Lupi and 39 other Italian parliamentarians also urged the Italian government to protest formally.[8][16]
According to The Washington Post, the Chinese government did not issue any formal statements. A police official of Xi'an declined to comment on the attack and Chinese state media did not report on it.[8] However, on 29 November, the government proposed compensating each injured nun with 3000 yuan and offering to let the cathedral buy the land for 6.5 million yuan. Anthony Dang Mingyan, then the auxiliary bishop of Xi'an, accepted the offer.[16]
On 30 November, the Holy See issued a statement expressing "grief and disapproval" over the attack, saying "The violence committed in Xian against several defenseless nuns can only be firmly condemned."[8]
Recent history
In 2008, Shaanxi government listed the cathedral as a province-level heritage protected site (省级文物保护单位), under the "Important Modern Historical Sites and Representative Architecture" (近现代重要史迹和代表性建筑) group. According to the order, no one may "conduct illegal engineering construction" within the protected premises.[17]
A seal commemorating the 300th anniversary of the church's founding
From 1 October to 4 October 2016, the cathedral hosted an event celebrating the 300th anniversary of its founding, hosted by Archbishop Mingyan.[2] On 2 October, there were two lectures on the church histories in China and in Shaanxi.[20] On 4 October, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, a relic of the saint was installed. The Union of Catholic Asian News reported that events of such scale is rare in China due to governmental restrictions.[2]
In 2020, local government officials intended to take the church land on either sides of the cathedral, demolish the buildings, and build a local park. There were rumors that the government would demolish the cathedral itself as well. Radio Free Asia reported that some Catholics held a banner outside of the cathedral that says "protect the legal rights of the church." Archbishop Anthony Dang Mingyan denied the rumors.[21][22]
Architecture
The cathedral's facade in July 2008
Exterior
A corner of the cathedral showing detailed brick carvings with traditional Chinese patterns, 2016
The current cathedral was rebuilt in 1883.[10] It is about 17.45 m (57.3 ft) tall. It covers an area of about 700 m2 (7,500 sq ft).[9] It has a neo-Romanesque structure, and combines western styles with traditional Chinese brick-and-timber architecture.[23] Yang Haozhong et al. argue that the fusion of Chinese and Western styles was due to the foreign missionaries' lack of professional design skills, as well as the preference of local artisans for using native materials.[24]
The Baroque facade has three arched entrances. It is decorated with brick carvings featuring traditional Chinese patterns, including flowers and Taotie.[23] On the facade, there are 16 granite Ionian columns, and the top of the columns are decorated with flowers.[25][9] During the 1991 restoration, the columns on the facade were painted black. The black paint was removed in the 2004 restoration.[10]
On the upper part of the facade, there is an electronic clock.[9] There are three aluminum crosses on top of the facade that were installed in 1991 to replace originals that were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.[10]
During the Cultural Revolution, factory buildings were built in the courtyard of the cathedral. In 2004, the factory buildings were demolished.[10]
Interior
The nave of the cathedral
The high altar
A corner of the cathedral
The interior of the cathedral has a depth of 41 m (135 ft). The cathedral has a capacity of about 500 people. The space is divided into a wide nave in the middle and two narrow aisles on the sides. The nave and the aisles are separated by a continuous sequence of Corinthian pillars.[23] On the top of the main entrance, there is a choir loft.[25]
At the end of the nave there are two altars: a high altar and an altar table. The high altar holds the tabernacle below the crucifix. An icon of St. Francis of Assisi is above the altar table. On each aisle, there is a smaller altar and a confessional.[25]
During the 1991 restoration, wooden wainscots were added to the interior walls. In 2004, the walls were repainted and original murals restored.[10]
Affiliated organizations
In 1919, the apostolic vicariate founded the Rosary Woman's Secondary School (玫瑰女子中学) and the Rosary Woman's Primary School (玫瑰女子小学) on church grounds. In 1928, St. Joseph's Primary School (若瑟小学) was founded in the yard of the church. In 1951, the Xi'an government took over the three schools.[23]
In 1923, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the Third Order of Saint Francis (方济各第三会耶稣圣心修女会) was founded. Its charters were written by Wang Wenqing (王文清), a nun of the French-led Franciscan Missionaries of Mary who sought to establish a Chinese-led religious order. It was founded under the support of Eugenio Massi, the apostolic vicar of Taiyuan, who was the acting apostolic vicar of Xi'an after Gabriel Maurice resigned. In 1928, the main convent of the order was moved to St. Francis' Church.[15]
In December 2005, an English man named Tony Day founded the "Yellow River Soup Kitchen" at the cathedral. According to The Lancashire Evening Post, it was the first soup kitchen in China. A year and a half later, the cathedral helped build a dedicated center for the organization.[26][27]
^It is unclear how much involvement Italian missionary Francesco Saraceni had in the expansion of the church. According to Sun Junhua, Saraceni also expanded the original church building between 1765 and 1785.[10] However, History of Shaanxi indicates that he had died in 1741.[6]
^ abcdefghijklmn"天主教 第一节 历史沿革" [Catholicism, Section I: General History]. 陕西省志·宗教志 [History of Shaanxi: Religious History] (in Chinese). 陕西省地方志办公室. 2016-10-24. ISBN9787224101461. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
^ abcdefgh"天主教 第四节 主要教堂" [Catholicism, Section IV: Major Churches]. 陕西省志·宗教志 [History of Shaanxi: Religious History] (in Chinese). 陕西省地方志办公室. 2016-10-24. ISBN9787224101461. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
^ abVladimír Liščák (2014). "Franciscan Missions to China and the Czech Crown Lands (from the 16th Century to the 18th Century)". Archiv Orientální. 82 (3): 515–38. doi:10.47979/AROR.J.82.3.515-538. S2CID255247407.
^劉祥. 條約下的外交因應：晚清江寧還堂案研究 [Diplomatic Response under the Treaty: A Study of the Case of Returning Churches in Jiangning in the Late Qing Dynasty] (PDF). 澳門理工學報 (in Chinese). 2016 (1). Archived(PDF) from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
^ ab 清末教案 [Legal Cases on Christianity in Late Qing] (in Chinese). Zhonghua Book Company. June 1990. pp. 535, 540, 579. ISBN9787101018110. 署陝西巡撫劉蓉奏覆西安並城固教堂分別籌辦交結摺，同治五年十一月初七日，陝西巡撫臣劉蓉跪奏，為陝省兩處教堂業經分別籌辦，均各交給清楚，並與議立條約，以彌釁端，恭摺覆奏，仰祈聖鑒事。[...] 臣遵省城教堂，先因所指張姓住宅展轉售賣，已曆多年，初無確據。而西安為漢回雜處之地，日後恐難相安，不得不熟籌遠慮，是以曲折商辦，據實奏陳。茲蒙聖訓周詳，自應恪遵迅速妥辦，隨督藩臬兩司委員會同咸甯、長安二縣在於省城另購民房抵換，既覓數處，該教士高一志始終堅持，總非所指張宅不可。若不設法撥還，難免藉為口實。查宅主翰林院編修張大枏已經物故，僅遺數齡幼子。該印委各員只得面見張大枏寡母孔氏，告以前情。再四婉勸，將房讓出，給予價值，另覓棲止。幸孔氏等深明大義，自以世受國恩，不敢固執。惟祖輩原置去價銀八千五百兩，迄今五世，陸續增添基地，修葺房屋，又費銀一萬有奇。查契載價銀尚與所言相符，第加入增添修費為數較多，值此庫項支絀，焉能籌茲鉅款，公同商酌，擬於原價八千五百兩之外垂憐孔氏兩世孤孀，加銀一千五百兩，共足萬兩之數。訂允買定，緘邀教士高一志於八月二十日來省，帶同親往查看。廳堂正廈門樓群房統計一百五十八間，該教士欣然樂從。隨于司庫兵餉一兩節省項下動支庫平銀一萬兩，飭發給領。即催張姓出契遷移交割
^"天主教 第九节 人 物" [Catholicism, Section IX: People]. 陕西省志·宗教志 [History of Shaanxi: Religious History] (in Chinese). 陕西省地方志办公室. 2016-10-24. ISBN9787224101461. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
^ ab"天主教 第二节 教区与修会" [Catholicism, Section II: The Diocese and the Holy Orders]. 陕西省志·宗教志 [History of Shaanxi: Religious History] (in Chinese). 陕西省地方志办公室. 2016-10-24. ISBN9787224101461. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
^陕西省人民政府关于公布第五批陕西省文物保护单位的通知 [Notice by Shaanxi Provincial People's Government on Publishing the Fifth Batch of Shaanxi Provincial-level Protected Heritage Sites] (in Chinese). 北京法院法规检索. 2008-09-16. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
^"Joachim Gauck (2012-2017)". bundespraesident.de. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22. From 1965 to 1990 he was in the service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, working as a pastor for many years.
^Maria Chen (2016-10-07). 西安教区圣方济各主教座堂隆重庆祝建堂三百周年、慕道者领洗进教 [St. Francis Cathedral of Xi'an Diocese Celebrates 300 Year Anniversary of Construction, Catechumens are Baptized] (in Chinese). AsiaNews. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
^ abcd"天主教 第六节 文化与教育" [Catholicism, Section VI: Culture & Education]. 陕西省志·宗教志 [History of Shaanxi: Religious History] (in Chinese). 陕西省地方志办公室. 2016-10-24. ISBN9787224101461. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
^杨, 豪中; 陈, 新 (December 2003). 西安基督教会建筑及其城市文化历史意义 [Christian architecture and its meaning of cultural history of Xi’an City] (PDF). 西安建筑科技大学学报 [J. Xi’an Univ. of Arch. & Tech.] (in Chinese). 35 (4). Placeholder Publisher. doi:10.15986/j.1006-7930.2003.04.013. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
