A cardinal is the most senior bishop in the Catholic Church. Cardinals are appointed by the Pope and divide the leadership of the various departments of the Holy See and the important parishes of the world. Cardinals also have the right to elect a new Pope and to participate in major meetings convened by the Pope to discuss and decide on major issues of the Church.
Catholicism was introduced into China as early as the Yuan Dynasty. But for centuries, Chinese dioceses were dominated by Westerners. It was not until the mid-20th century that the first Chinese Cardinal, Thomas Tien Ken-sin, was appointed. This was an important step towards the Sinicization of the Catholic church.
Cardinal Thomas Tien Ken-Sin’s given name was Pingsan. He was born in 1890 in Zhangqiu Town, Yanggu County, Shandong Province. His father died when he was young and received the Gospel before he died. Tian had to live with Father Joseph Freinademetz in the Temple of Poli Village, Yanggu County and received his education there. In 1901, at the age of 11, Tien was baptized into the Yanzhou Convent. After that, he studied in a small monastery and later at a much larger monastery in Polli Village, Yanggu. On June 9, 1918, he became a priest in the Church of the Holy Spirit, which was the cathedral for the Bishop of Yanzhou.
Cardinal Thomas Tien Ken-Sin started his missionary work. The dioceses he was part of was located in Juye, Yutai, Wenshang, which had normal economic conditions at that time. Father Tien scrimped and saved to keep the churches running. He often wore shabby clothes and ate only steamed cornbread. He could easily mingle with the locals.
In 1929, Tien Ken-Sin entered the Holy Speech Society where he studied for two years. There he took a vow to become a member of the Society of the Divine Word, which he served all his life. He went to Jiaxiang, Yuncheng, and other areas to do missionary work in 1931. In 1934 (said in 1933), he was appointed by the Holy See as the supervisor of Yanggu Parish in Shandong Province. At that time, there were 12 priests and 13,700 believers in Yanggu parish.
At that time, the first papal representative of the Holy See to China, Celso Costantini, came to China. He broke the resistance of the Patronatus missionum of the French and promoted the sinicization of Catholicism. Although Matteo Ricci, Martino Martini, and other church sages did a lot of good work on the Sinicization of Christianity, the conflict between Chinese and Western ideas and the influence of modern Patronatus missionum of French led to the increasingly tense relationship between Chinese Catholicism and Chinese society and culture. In terms of the church system, the Chinese clergy had been excluded from the episcopal authority for a long time. After coming to China, it was proposed that Chinese clerics could take up positions in the church as long as they were qualified, and there was no problem for them to become bishops. On the recommendation of Celso Costantini, Pope Pius XI personally ordained six Chinese bishops in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on October 28, 1926. This was the first time in more than 200 years since Bishop Gregorio Lopez was ordained.
In 1939, Tien was promoted to be the vicar and head bishop of Yanggu. On November 29, Tien was consecrated as bishop by Pope Pius XII in St. Peter's Basilica. In December 1940, Bishop Tien founded the Sisters of Our Lady of China in Chaocheng County, Yanggu Diocese, which was a rare order founded by Chinese people at that time.
After the establishment of the Sisters of Our Lady, Tien was busy working day and night for the construction of the parish, but he did not forget to go there to teach regularly. In 1942, Tien was appointed bishop of Qingdao Diocese in Shandong Province.
On Christmas Eve 1945, the Pope appointed Tien as the first Cardinal of the Far East. On February 18 the following year, he was confirmed in St. Peter's Basilica. At this time, In order to improve the status of the Chinese Church in the universal Church, Tien advised the Pope to establish a Chinese hierarchy as soon as possible. Soon, it was approved by the Pope. On April 11, the same year, Tien Was appointed by the Pope as the Archbishop of Peiping, and the Chinese Catholic Church established its own hierarchy.
After returning to China, Tien founded the Shanghai Zhi Compilation and Translation Museum, published new books of the Church, and set up the Saint Thomas School of Philosophy at Furen University. On December 4, 1959, the Pope appointed Tien as archbishop of Taipei diocese. On March 1, 1960, Cardinal Tien arrived in Taiwan and took up his post. In Taiwan, he established Joseph convent, Thomas Seminary, and Geng Xin Hospital. He also assisted in the restoration of Furen University and became its President.
On October 11, 1962, the second Vatican Council opened. Tian led the Chinese Bishop team to join the council. On July 24, 1967, Cardinal Tien Ken-Sin, the first Chinese cardinal who devoted his whole life to the Sinicization of Catholicism, passed away at St. Martin's Hospital of the Sisters of Our Lady of China.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
中国首位红衣主教
枢机主教是天主教最高级的主教。他由教宗任命，分掌罗马教廷各部及世界各重要教区的领导权。并享有选举教宗及参与教宗召开的重大会议，商讨和决定教会的重大事宜。
虽然早在元代，天主教就已传入中国。但几百年来，中国教区的红衣主教都由西方人担任。直到二十纪中叶，中国教区才诞生了首位华籍红衣主教——田耕莘，这是天主教在教制上实现中国化的重要一步。
田耕莘Cardinal Thomas Tien Ken-sin，字聘三。1890生于山东省阳谷县张秋镇。田耕莘自幼家贫，父亲在他年幼时去世，并在临终前接受了福音。田只好随福若瑟神父居住阳谷县坡里庄圣堂，在此接受了启蒙教育。1901年，11岁的田在兖州修院领洗归入主的名下。之后，他先后在阳谷坡里庄小修道院、大修道院研读。1918年6月9日在兖州主教座堂——天主圣神堂晋铎，成为神父。
田耕莘开始了宣教工作。他所在的教区位于巨野、鱼台、汶上等地，经济条件一般。田神父为了维持教会生计，节衣缩食。他常穿破旧的衣服，以窝窝头为食。他能与当地人打成一片。
1929年，田耕莘进入圣言会，受训二年，在此他发圣愿，终生为圣言会士。1931年到嘉祥、郓城等地宣教。1934年（一说1933年），被罗马教廷任命为山东省阳谷监牧，阳谷教区当时有司铎12人，信徒13700人。
当时，罗马教廷首任宗座驻华代表刚恒毅来到中国，他冲破了法国保教权的阻力，推动天主教的中国化。虽然利玛窦、卫匡国等教会先贤在天主教中国化上做了很多有益的工作，但中西礼仪之争的恶果以及近代法国保教权的影响，导致中国天主教与中国社会、文化的关系日益紧张。而在教会制度上中国神职人员更是长期被排除在主教职权之外。刚来华后，提出中国神职人员只要资格相符就可在教会担任职务，成为主教也没任何问题。在刚恒毅的举荐下，1926年10月28日，教宗庇护十一世在梵蒂冈圣伯多禄大教堂亲自祝圣这6名中国主教，这是罗文藻主教后，200多年来的头一遭。
1939年，他升任阳谷宗座代牧、领衔主教。是年11月29日，田在圣彼得大教堂由教宗庇护十二世祝圣为主教。1940年12月，田主教在阳谷教区朝城县创立了中华圣母传教修女会，这是当时少有的，由国人建立的修会。
修女会成立后，田耕莘虽为教区各项建设日夜忙碌，但仍不忘定期来此教学。1942年，田奉调山东省青岛教区主教。
1945年平安夜，教宗任命田耕莘为远东首任枢机主教。并于次年2月18日，在圣彼得大教堂行加冠礼。此时，田耕莘为了提高中国教会在普世教会的地位，于是向教宗进言，建议早日成立中国圣统制，不久，就得到教宗批准，同年4月11日，田耕莘被教宗任命为北平总主教，自此中国天主教成立圣统制。
田耕莘回国后，创立上智编译馆， 出版教会新书，又在辅仁大学设立圣多玛斯哲学院。1959年12月4日，新教宗任命田为台北教区总主教任。田枢机于1960年3月1日抵台赴任，在台湾，他成立若瑟修院、多玛斯神哲院及耕莘医院，并协助辅仁大学复校，任学校董事长。
1962年10月11日，第二届梵蒂冈大公会议开幕，田耕莘率领中国主教团参加大会。1967年7月24日一生致力于天主教中国化的首位中华红衣主教田耕莘在中华圣母传教修女会圣马尔定医院安息主怀。
A cardinal is the most senior bishop in the Catholic Church. Cardinals are appointed by the Pope and divide the leadership of the various departments of the Holy See and the important parishes of the world. Cardinals also have the right to elect a new Pope and to participate in major meetings convened by the Pope to discuss and decide on major issues of the Church.
Catholicism was introduced into China as early as the Yuan Dynasty. But for centuries, Chinese dioceses were dominated by Westerners. It was not until the mid-20th century that the first Chinese Cardinal, Thomas Tien Ken-sin, was appointed. This was an important step towards the Sinicization of the Catholic church.
Cardinal Thomas Tien Ken-Sin’s given name was Pingsan. He was born in 1890 in Zhangqiu Town, Yanggu County, Shandong Province. His father died when he was young and received the Gospel before he died. Tian had to live with Father Joseph Freinademetz in the Temple of Poli Village, Yanggu County and received his education there. In 1901, at the age of 11, Tien was baptized into the Yanzhou Convent. After that, he studied in a small monastery and later at a much larger monastery in Polli Village, Yanggu. On June 9, 1918, he became a priest in the Church of the Holy Spirit, which was the cathedral for the Bishop of Yanzhou.
Cardinal Thomas Tien Ken-Sin started his missionary work. The dioceses he was part of was located in Juye, Yutai, Wenshang, which had normal economic conditions at that time. Father Tien scrimped and saved to keep the churches running. He often wore shabby clothes and ate only steamed cornbread. He could easily mingle with the locals.
In 1929, Tien Ken-Sin entered the Holy Speech Society where he studied for two years. There he took a vow to become a member of the Society of the Divine Word, which he served all his life. He went to Jiaxiang, Yuncheng, and other areas to do missionary work in 1931. In 1934 (said in 1933), he was appointed by the Holy See as the supervisor of Yanggu Parish in Shandong Province. At that time, there were 12 priests and 13,700 believers in Yanggu parish.
At that time, the first papal representative of the Holy See to China, Celso Costantini, came to China. He broke the resistance of the Patronatus missionum of the French and promoted the sinicization of Catholicism. Although Matteo Ricci, Martino Martini, and other church sages did a lot of good work on the Sinicization of Christianity, the conflict between Chinese and Western ideas and the influence of modern Patronatus missionum of French led to the increasingly tense relationship between Chinese Catholicism and Chinese society and culture. In terms of the church system, the Chinese clergy had been excluded from the episcopal authority for a long time. After coming to China, it was proposed that Chinese clerics could take up positions in the church as long as they were qualified, and there was no problem for them to become bishops. On the recommendation of Celso Costantini, Pope Pius XI personally ordained six Chinese bishops in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on October 28, 1926. This was the first time in more than 200 years since Bishop Gregorio Lopez was ordained.
In 1939, Tien was promoted to be the vicar and head bishop of Yanggu. On November 29, Tien was consecrated as bishop by Pope Pius XII in St. Peter's Basilica. In December 1940, Bishop Tien founded the Sisters of Our Lady of China in Chaocheng County, Yanggu Diocese, which was a rare order founded by Chinese people at that time.
After the establishment of the Sisters of Our Lady, Tien was busy working day and night for the construction of the parish, but he did not forget to go there to teach regularly. In 1942, Tien was appointed bishop of Qingdao Diocese in Shandong Province.
On Christmas Eve 1945, the Pope appointed Tien as the first Cardinal of the Far East. On February 18 the following year, he was confirmed in St. Peter's Basilica. At this time, In order to improve the status of the Chinese Church in the universal Church, Tien advised the Pope to establish a Chinese hierarchy as soon as possible. Soon, it was approved by the Pope. On April 11, the same year, Tien Was appointed by the Pope as the Archbishop of Peiping, and the Chinese Catholic Church established its own hierarchy.
After returning to China, Tien founded the Shanghai Zhi Compilation and Translation Museum, published new books of the Church, and set up the Saint Thomas School of Philosophy at Furen University. On December 4, 1959, the Pope appointed Tien as archbishop of Taipei diocese. On March 1, 1960, Cardinal Tien arrived in Taiwan and took up his post. In Taiwan, he established Joseph convent, Thomas Seminary, and Geng Xin Hospital. He also assisted in the restoration of Furen University and became its President.
On October 11, 1962, the second Vatican Council opened. Tian led the Chinese Bishop team to join the council. On July 24, 1967, Cardinal Tien Ken-Sin, the first Chinese cardinal who devoted his whole life to the Sinicization of Catholicism, passed away at St. Martin's Hospital of the Sisters of Our Lady of China.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
China's First Catholic Cardinal, Thomas Tien Ken-Sin
