Roman Catholic Diocese of Sipingjie

Diocese of Sipingjie Dioecesis Sepimchiaevensis 天主教四平街教区
Location
Country	China
Ecclesiastical province	Shenyang
Metropolitan	Shenyang
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Andrew Han Jing-tao
Metropolitan Archbishop	Paul Pei Junmin

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sipingjie/Siping/Szepíngkai (Template:Lang-la, Chinese: 四平街 / 四平; pinyin: Sìpíngjiē / Sìpíng) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan of Shenyang.

Its episcopal see (no cathedral ?) is located in the city of Sipingjie (Siping, Jiling or Szepíngkai) in Jilin province.

History

• Established on August 2, 1929 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Szepingkai (四平街), on territories split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Shenyang (瀋陽) and the Apostolic Vicariate of Rehe (熱河)
• June 1, 1932: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Szepingkai (四平街)
• Lost territory on 18 May 1937 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Lindong (林東)
• April 11, 1946: Promoted and renamed as Diocese of Siping(jie) alias Szepíngkai (四平街), ending its missionary, pre-diocesan and exempt status

Ordinaries

(all Roman rite, mostly missionary members of a Latin congregation)

Apostolic Prefects of Szepingkai

• Fr. Luigi Lapierre, Société des Missions-Étrangères du Québec (Society of Foreign Missions; P.M.E.) (February 19, 1930–May 24, 1932 see below)

Apostolic Vicar of Szepingkai

• Luigi Lapierre, P.M.E. (see above May 24, 1932–April 11, 1946 see below), Titular Bishop of Cardicium (1932.05.24–1946.04.11)

Suffragan Bishops of Sipingjie

• Luigi Lapierre, P.M.E. (see above April 11, 1946–death December 1, 1952)
• Apostolic Administrator (1954.04.02–2004) Paul Zhang
• Andrew Han Jingtao (1982–present)

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy