Metropolitan Archdiocese of

Suiyuan 綏遠

China

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Suiyuan 綏遠 (中文) / Hohhot 呼和浩特 (中文) / Suiyüan / Hūhéhàotè 呼和浩特 (简体中文) / Suíyuǎn 绥远 (简体中文) / Sœiiüenen(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Jining 集寧, Ningxia 寧夏

Neighbouring Dioceses: Ningxia 寧夏 (↙), Ulaanbaatar (↑), Jining 集寧 (→), Shuoxian 朔縣 (↘), Yan’an 延安 (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Now Governed by Patriotic Dioceses: Hushi 呼市 Uncanonical Diocese , Baotou 包頭

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1883.12.21: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Southwestern Mongolia 西南蒙古 (中文) / Mongolia Occiduo-Meridionale (Italiano) / Southwestern Ménggǔ 西南蒙古 (简体中文) / Mongoliæ occiduo-meridionalis (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Mongolia 蒙古)
1922.03.14: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Suiyuan 綏遠 (中文) / Suiyuan / Suíyuǎn 绥远 (简体中文) / de Suiyuan (Latin) (lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Ningxia 寧夏)
1946.04.11: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Suiyuan 綏遠 (中文) / Hohhot 呼和浩特 (中文) / Suiyüan / Hūhéhàotè 呼和浩特 (简体中文) / Suíyuǎn 绥远 (简体中文) / Sœiiüenen(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Jining 集寧, Ningxia 寧夏 and Xiwanzi 西灣子)
2025.07.08: Lost suffragan see Xiwanzi 西灣子

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2010 – ...):

Archbishop Paul Meng Qing-lu (孟青祿) (63)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Suiyuan 綏遠 (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Paul Meng Qing-lu (孟青祿) (63)
(2010 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China)

Fiat voluntas tua sicut in cælo et in terra

Born:	1962.06.22 (Wumeng, China)
Ordained Priest:	1989.07.16
Consecrated Bishop:	2010.04.18

Priest of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (1989.07.16 – 2010)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (2010 – ...)

Archbishop John Baptist Wang Xi-xian (王希賢)
(1997 – 2005.05.25)

Born:	1926.05.21 (China)
Ordained Priest:	1953.05.31
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.06.24
Died:	2005.05.25 († 79)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (1997 – 2005.05.25)

Archbishop Francis Wang Xue-ming (王學明)
(1951.08.19 – 1997.02.10)

Born:	1910.10.04 (Siaonor, China)
Ordained Priest:	1935.07.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1951.10.07
Died:	1997.02.10 († 86)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (1951.08.19 – 1997.02.10)

Archbishop Louis Morel (穆清海), C.I.C.M.
(1946.04.11 – 1951.08.19)

Dum omni modo Christus annuntietur

Born:	1880.10.30 (Houthem-lès-Comines, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1905.07.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1938.10.18
Died:	1971.06.06 (Anderlecht, Belgium † 90)

Titular Bishop of Araxa (1938.03.21 – 1946.04.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (1938.03.21 – 1946.04.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (1946.04.11 – 1951.08.19)

Titular Archbishop of Ænus (1951.08.19 – 1971.06.06)

Vicars Apostolic of Suiyuan 綏遠 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Louis Morel (穆清海), C.I.C.M. (later Archbishop)
(1938.03.21 – 1946.04.11)

(see above)

Bishop Louis van Dyck (葛崇德), C.I.C.M.
(1915.08.10 – 1937)

Born:	1862.01.02 (Loenhout, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1885.05.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1916.01.23
Died:	1937.12.05 (Suiyuan, China † 75)

Vicar Apostolic of Suiyuan 綏遠 (China) (1915.08.10 – 1937)

Titular Bishop of Abbir maius (1915.08.10 – 1937.12.05)

Vicars Apostolic of Southwestern Mongolia 西南蒙古 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Alfonso Bermyn (閔玉清), C.I.C.M.
(1901.04.03 – 1915.02.16)

Born:	1853.01.03 (Sint-Pauwels-Waas, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1876.06.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1902.01.26
Died:	1915.02.16 (Kangfangyintze, China † 62)

Titular Bishop of Stratonicea (1901.04.03 – 1915.02.16)

Vicar Apostolic of Southwestern Mongolia 西南蒙古 (China) (1901.04.03 – 1915.02.16)

Bishop Ferdinand Hubertus Hamer (韓默理), C.I.C.M.
(1888.08.30 – 1900.07.15)

Per te virgo sim defensus

Born:	1840.08.21 (Nijmwegen, Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:	1864.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1878.10.27
Died:	1900.07.15 (T’ouo-tcheng, China † 59)

Vicar Apostolic of Gansu 甘肅 (China) (1878.06.21 – 1888.08.30)

Titular Bishop of Tremithus (1878.06.21 – 1900.07.15)

Vicar Apostolic of Southwestern Mongolia 西南蒙古 (China) (1888.08.30 – 1900.07.15)

Bishop Alphonse de Voss (德玉明), C.I.C.M.
(1883.12.12 – 1888.07.21)

Born:	1840.04.21 (Mesen, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1863.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1884.05.18
Died:	1888.07.21 (San-tao-ho, China † 48)

Titular Bishop of Abdera (1883.12.12 – 1888.07.21)

Vicar Apostolic of Southwestern Mongolia 西南蒙古 (China) (1883.12.12 – 1888.07.21)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop John Jiang Li-ren (姜立人) (1989 – 2001.12)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Joseph Li Cong-zhe (李從哲) (1985? – 2001)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hohhot 呼和浩特, Inner Mongolia
Former Cathedral: Former Cathedral, Ershisiqingde 二十四顷地, Inner Mongolia

Ningxia 寧夏 (↙), Ulaanbaatar (↑), Jining 集寧 (→), Shuoxian 朔縣 (↘), Yan’an 延安 (↓)

Statistics (1950.12.31)

Area: 100,000 km²

Population: 41,932 Catholics (3.9% of 1,065,775 total)

Pastoral Centres: 29 parishes, 52 missions

Personnel: 69 priests (36 diocesan, 33 religious), 34 religious (34 sisters), 13 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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