100 YEARS SINCE THE ORDINATION OF THE FIRST SIX CHINESE BISHOPS/1 - Odorico Cheng Hede and the Diocese of Puchi

Fides News Agency is producing a series of documentary profiles to mark the centenary of the ordination of the first six Chinese bishops of the modern era. One such profile focuses on Odorico Cheng Hede and the Diocese of Puchi.

Cheng Hede was one of the six Chinese bishops ordained by Pope Pius XI at the Vatican Basilica on October 28, 1926. He previously served as the Apostolic Prefect of Puchi following the establishment of the prefecture on December 12, 1923. The prefecture was the first ecclesiastical territory in China to be placed under the leadership of a Chinese cleric. Before his episcopal ordination, Cheng Hede was appointed bishop-elect by the Pope on June 24, 1926.

The move toward indigenous leadership began in 1922 when Archbishop Celso Costantini arrived in China as the first Apostolic Delegate. In his book, With the Missionaries in China, 1922–1933, Costantini noted that he suggested to Rome the creation of local dioceses so that Chinese bishops could serve as official representatives at the National Council.