Roman Catholicism in Nepal
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in Nepal is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
and curia
in Vatican City
. As of 2004 there are 7,105 Catholics in Nepal, organized into one Catholic jurisdiction known as an apostolic vicariate
.
Catholicism was first propagated in Nepal during the 18th century, though from 1810 to 1950 no missionaries were allowed in Nepal. Since 1951, missionaries have again been allowed, though conversion to Christianity
is still illegal. In 1983 a mission sui iuris
covering Nepal was created, and in 1996 it was raised to an Apostolic Prefect
ure. The 1990 Nepali constitution did not guarantee religious freedom for Christians, but as of May 2006 Nepal has been declared a secular
state. The interim constitution, finalized in 2007, guarantees some religious freedom but prohibits people from trying to convert others. On February 10, 2007, Benedict XVI
elevated the prefecture of Nepal to the rank of a vicariate and appointed Anthony Sharma as the first vicar and first Nepalese bishop of the Catholic Church.
, Portugal
, and in 1533 as part of the diocese
of Goa
. From then on until 1983, it was a part of many different Indian dioceses. Missionaries entered Nepal proper in 1715, when Capuchin
fathers entered the Kathmandu Valley
at the invitation of the Malla
Kings. Father Sharma Anthony Francis, who has headed the Catholic mission and then prefecture since 1983, has stated, "The priests were given full authority to preach Christianity and even build a church, called Our Lady's Assumption
, somewhere in Lalitpur District
". Assumption was built in 1760, and another church called Annunciation of Our Lady was built in Bhaktapur
. After the unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah
into a Hindu
kingdom, the priests were asked to leave for fear they were British spies. In 1769 the priests and many Nepalese Christians left for India and settled in Chuhair, Northern Bihar
, where they have remained. One Catholic priest did remain until his death in 1810. After that, there was no Christian presence until 1950. On May 19, 1893, the whole of Nepal was added to the Prefecture of Bettiah
, India. It was then a part of the Patna
, India
apostolic vicariate
from 1919 until the establishment of the mission covering only Nepal in 1983.
in 1951, Jesuit
missionaries started educational institutions but were not allowed to evangelize. Saint Xavier's School was established in 1951. The Catholic Mission was established in 1983 with territory taken from Patna diocese in India and entrusted to the care of the Jesuits. In 1992 the Church of the Assumption, a new church built with its name hearkening back to the original Assumption church, was officially recognized. In 1996 the Mission was elevated to the rank of Apostolic Prefecture.
Father Sharma spent Easter
day in 1986 in a police station for preaching to non-Christian relatives of some of the faithful attending church with them. Conversion to Christianity
was forbidden by law, and was reiterated by the 1990 constitution that created a multi-party democracy. Since 1990, the law had not been enforced.
At the diplomatic level, Nepal has exchanged ambassadors with the Vatican. Before King Gyanendra
was stripped of his powers by the Sansad
(Nepalese parliament), there had been hope of official recognition by the state since the king was educated at a Catholic school
and was a pupil of the current Prefect Apostolic, Nepalese Jesuit Father Anthony Sharma. In May 2006, church leaders welcomed the parliamentary declaration that Nepal is now a "secular state
," a change from what had been the only officially Hindu
country in the world. The first open air Christian musical program was hosted to celebrate the beginning of religious freedom for the first time in Nepal's history.
Maoist
rebels have targeted Catholic institutions in recent years, such as their torching of two Catholic schools in 2002 in the Gurkha
region. A mission in Eastern Nepal was subject to attack by Maoist insurgents in 2003, destroying a residence, clinic, chapel, kindergarten and kitchens. During Maoist attempts to call a national school strike, they attacked a small Catholic school in mid-western Nepal with a bomb
.
The Nepalese church continues to grow and become more active. A convent
was inaugurated along with a training center in western Nepal in June 2006, a first for western Nepal. At Nepal's first Catholic church, the Church of the Assumption in Kathmandu, there are English masses said on Sundays. Six Nepalese youths went to World Youth Day 2005
in Cologne
, Germany
despite having a difficult time obtaining visas from German officials. Catholic Relief Services conducts many programs in the country, including counteracting the trade in women and children and aiding those affected by flood
s and landslide
s. In a display of inter-religious cooperation, the Olympic torch was brought to the top of the sacred mountain of Makalu
, having been blessed by both Pope Benedict XVI
and the Dalai Lama
. On February 10, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI raised the status of the jurisdiction to a vicariate.
In 2007, Nepal adopted an interim constitution. It guarantees each citizen the "right to profess, practise and preserve his/her own religion as handed down to him/her from ancient times". However, it expressly forbids people to convert others to their religion.
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
in Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. As of 2004 there are 7,105 Catholics in Nepal, organized into one Catholic jurisdiction known as an apostolic vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
.
Catholicism was first propagated in Nepal during the 18th century, though from 1810 to 1950 no missionaries were allowed in Nepal. Since 1951, missionaries have again been allowed, though conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
is still illegal. In 1983 a mission sui iuris
Mission sui iuris
A mission sui iuris, or in Latin missio sui iuris, also known as an independent mission, is a rare type of Roman Catholic missionary pseudo-diocesan jurisdiction in an area with very few Catholics, often desolate or remote....
covering Nepal was created, and in 1996 it was raised to an Apostolic Prefect
Apostolic prefect
An apostolic prefect is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a missionary area where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese....
ure. The 1990 Nepali constitution did not guarantee religious freedom for Christians, but as of May 2006 Nepal has been declared a secular
Secularity
Secularity is the state of being separate from religion.For instance, eating and bathing may be regarded as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them...
state. The interim constitution, finalized in 2007, guarantees some religious freedom but prohibits people from trying to convert others. On February 10, 2007, Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
elevated the prefecture of Nepal to the rank of a vicariate and appointed Anthony Sharma as the first vicar and first Nepalese bishop of the Catholic Church.
Origins
The history of Catholicism in Nepal begins with its inclusion in the diocese of FunchalFunchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and in 1533 as part of the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. From then on until 1983, it was a part of many different Indian dioceses. Missionaries entered Nepal proper in 1715, when Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
fathers entered the Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley , located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley.-Etymology:The city of...
at the invitation of the Malla
Malla (Nepal)
The Malla Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of Nepal from the 12th to the 18th century. Malla kings of Nepal visited Lumbini in the 11th and 12th century. It was during their reign the people living in and around the Kathmandu Valley began to be called as "Newars" . The Mallas were the ruling clan of...
Kings. Father Sharma Anthony Francis, who has headed the Catholic mission and then prefecture since 1983, has stated, "The priests were given full authority to preach Christianity and even build a church, called Our Lady's Assumption
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
, somewhere in Lalitpur District
Lalitpur District, Nepal
Lalitpur District of 337,785. It is one of the three districts in the Kathmandu Valley, along with Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.Lalitpur District has many schools, colleges and hotels. Adarsha Vidya Mandir, St. Xavier's School, St...
". Assumption was built in 1760, and another church called Annunciation of Our Lady was built in Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur , also Bhadgaon or Khwopa is an ancient Newar town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It is located in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone...
. After the unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
into a Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
kingdom, the priests were asked to leave for fear they were British spies. In 1769 the priests and many Nepalese Christians left for India and settled in Chuhair, Northern Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, where they have remained. One Catholic priest did remain until his death in 1810. After that, there was no Christian presence until 1950. On May 19, 1893, the whole of Nepal was added to the Prefecture of Bettiah
Bettiah
Bettiah is the headquarters of West Champaran district in the state of Bihar, near the Indo-Nepal border, 225 Kilometres north-west of Patna. Bettiah, pronounced as 'Betiya', derived its name from 'baint'...
, India. It was then a part of the Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
apostolic vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
from 1919 until the establishment of the mission covering only Nepal in 1983.
20th century
With the introduction of democracyDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in 1951, Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
missionaries started educational institutions but were not allowed to evangelize. Saint Xavier's School was established in 1951. The Catholic Mission was established in 1983 with territory taken from Patna diocese in India and entrusted to the care of the Jesuits. In 1992 the Church of the Assumption, a new church built with its name hearkening back to the original Assumption church, was officially recognized. In 1996 the Mission was elevated to the rank of Apostolic Prefecture.
Father Sharma spent Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
day in 1986 in a police station for preaching to non-Christian relatives of some of the faithful attending church with them. Conversion to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
was forbidden by law, and was reiterated by the 1990 constitution that created a multi-party democracy. Since 1990, the law had not been enforced.
21st century
Gyanendra of Nepal
Gyanendra Shah was the last King of Nepal. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan was forced into exile in India with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre.King...
was stripped of his powers by the Sansad
Parliament of Nepal
The Parliament of Nepal was dissolved by King Gyanendra in 2002, on the grounds that it was incapable of handling the Maoist rebels. The country's five main political parties have staged protests against the king, arguing that he must either call fresh elections or reinstate the elected legislature...
(Nepalese parliament), there had been hope of official recognition by the state since the king was educated at a Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
and was a pupil of the current Prefect Apostolic, Nepalese Jesuit Father Anthony Sharma. In May 2006, church leaders welcomed the parliamentary declaration that Nepal is now a "secular state
Secular state
A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential...
," a change from what had been the only officially Hindu
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
country in the world. The first open air Christian musical program was hosted to celebrate the beginning of religious freedom for the first time in Nepal's history.
Maoist
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
rebels have targeted Catholic institutions in recent years, such as their torching of two Catholic schools in 2002 in the Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
region. A mission in Eastern Nepal was subject to attack by Maoist insurgents in 2003, destroying a residence, clinic, chapel, kindergarten and kitchens. During Maoist attempts to call a national school strike, they attacked a small Catholic school in mid-western Nepal with a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
.
The Nepalese church continues to grow and become more active. A convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
was inaugurated along with a training center in western Nepal in June 2006, a first for western Nepal. At Nepal's first Catholic church, the Church of the Assumption in Kathmandu, there are English masses said on Sundays. Six Nepalese youths went to World Youth Day 2005
World Youth Day 2005
The 20th World Youth Day 2005 was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, 2005 in Cologne, Germany. It was the first World Youth Day and foreign trip of Pope Benedict XVI, who joined the festival on August 18. This meeting was decided by the previous...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
despite having a difficult time obtaining visas from German officials. Catholic Relief Services conducts many programs in the country, including counteracting the trade in women and children and aiding those affected by flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s and landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s. In a display of inter-religious cooperation, the Olympic torch was brought to the top of the sacred mountain of Makalu
Makalu
Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at and is located southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China...
, having been blessed by both Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
and the Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
. On February 10, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI raised the status of the jurisdiction to a vicariate.
In 2007, Nepal adopted an interim constitution. It guarantees each citizen the "right to profess, practise and preserve his/her own religion as handed down to him/her from ancient times". However, it expressly forbids people to convert others to their religion.