Background of the Church’s Founding
The great geographical discoveries of the early modern period and the resulting global expeditions brought about the so-called “Western Progress Eastward,” which simultaneously fueled the convergence of Western learning and the spread of Catholicism to neighboring China and Japan. During the Imjin War, the Japanese Jesuits dispatched Spanish Jesuit Father G. de Cespedes to the southern coast of Joseon to supervise the faith of Japanese Catholic soldiers. He likely also attempted to evangelize the indigenous population, the Koreans. However, hostility with the locals likely made this impossible. Meanwhile, many of the kidnapped Japanese converted to Catholicism. Their conversions sparked hope and interest among Japanese Jesuits in evangelizing Joseon, leading them to attempt missionary work there. However, all these attempts were thwarted.
Meanwhile, Chinese Jesuit missionaries also became interested in evangelizing Joseon through Joseon envoys traveling to Beijing. Joseon envoys visiting Beijing frequently sought out missionaries seeking new knowledge about Western civilization, and the missionaries, in turn, welcomed them and engaged in written discussions about Western learning and religion. Thus, Western civilization was first introduced to Joseon through these envoys. Furthermore, the Jesuits indirectly supported missionary efforts in Joseon. In particular, Adam Schall (揚若望), who had formed a close relationship with Crown Prince Sohyeon, attempted to evangelize Joseon through him, but his sudden death thwarted his efforts. All attempts to evangelize from China also ended in failure.
However, Catholic books written in Chinese characters by Chinese missionaries were continually introduced to Joseon from the early 17th century onward. These books were particularly welcomed and studied by scholars of the Southerners (南人), stimulating the Silhak (Practical Learning) movement and giving rise to the new academic style of Western learning. 《The Real Meaning of the Lord of Heaven》 (天主實義) had already been briefly introduced by Yi Su-gwang (李光), and his contemporary Yu Mong-in (柳夢寅) commented on 《The Real Meaning of the Lord of Heaven》 in a supplementary Confucianist way by equating the Lord of Heaven in Western learning with the Supreme Emperor (上帝) in Confucianism. Yi Ik (李瀷) also made a similar comment in his Postscript to 《The Real Meaning of the Lord of Heaven》. Yi Ik also made a supplementary Confucianist commentary on 《The Seven Controversies》 (七克). Among Yi Ik’s disciples, some scholars emerged who went beyond academic interest and discovered the truth of life in Western learning and put their faith into practice. Hong Yu-han (洪儒漢) was the first to put the commandments of Catholicism into practice around 1770. Following this, the Catholic faith began to sprout in Kwon Cheol-sin, Jeong Yak-jeon, and Yi Byeok, which was triggered by a lecture at Jueo Temple. Unable to find solutions to life’s important questions in Confucian classics, they sought solutions in Western books and began practicing some of the Catholic commandments through prayer and fasting. However, none of them continued beyond this point, and Yi Byeok also lacked a comprehensive understanding of Catholicism due to a lack of Catholic books.
The Founding of the Church and the Establishment of the Diocese of Joseon
Catholicism was finally formally accepted in 1784 when Yi Seung-hun (李承薰) returned from Beijing to be baptized and formed a religious community with Yi Byeok, Jeong Yak-jeon, and others. Upon hearing that his friend Yi Seung-hun was to travel to Beijing on the Winter Solstice Envoy, Yi Byeok earnestly urged him to visit the missionaries in Beijing, request baptism, and bring back many Bibles and sacred objects. Indeed, Yi Seung-hun arrived in Beijing and learned the necessary doctrine from Father de Grammont (梁棟材) of the Beokdang (北堂), was baptized under the name Peter, and returned to Korea in the spring of 1784, taking many Bibles and sacred objects with him. Upon returning to Korea, Yi Seung-hun studied the doctrine with Yi Byeok, preached it to his relatives and acquaintances, and began baptizing them in September (lunar calendar) of that year. Thus, a church was born, comprised of baptized believers.
Yi Byeok also visited the brothers Jeong Yak-jeon and Jeong Yak-yong to emphasize the need for spreading the gospel, and preached to the middle class, converting Kim Beom-u, Choi In-gil, Choi Chang-hyeon, and Ji Hwang. Furthermore, judging that the conversion of those with high scholarship and reputation was necessary, he visited the Kwon family in Yanggeun to preach, and as a result, succeeded in converting the brothers Kwon Cheol-sin and Kwon Il-sin. Upon his conversion, Kwon Il-sin became an ardent apostle of the gospel, becoming one of the three major pillars of the new church, along with Lee Seung-hun and Yi Byeok. He spread the gospel far into the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces by converting his disciples, Lee Jon-chang (李存昌) from Chungcheong Province and Yu Hang-geom (柳恒儉) from Jeolla Province.
These church leaders even practiced the pseudo-priesthood system in 1786. This was, of course, illegal. However, out of ignorance and good intentions, they celebrated mass and administered the sacraments of confession and confirmation. Lee Seung-hun, who was the leader of the church at the time, was elected as the first priest, and he subsequently appointed ten other priests to administer the sacraments. The pseudo-priesthood system continued for about two years. During this time, they became aware of the problems of the pseudo-priesthood system and inquired about it with the missionaries in Beijing. The missionaries in Beijing recommended that they recruit clergy. Accordingly, they again dispatched a secret envoy and were able to receive a promise from Bishop de Giuvea of Beijing to dispatch missionaries, and as a result, the Chinese priest Zhou Wenmo was dispatched to the Joseon Church at the end of 1794. Thanks to the efforts of the priest and the fervent missionary work of the believers, the Joseon Church was able to develop greatly, and the number of believers increased from only 4,000 when he arrived to 10,000 in 1800. The believers especially organized a religious group called Myeongdohoe (明道會) and worked to learn doctrines from each other and spread the gospel to their neighbors. The first president of Myeongdohoe was Jeong Yak-jong (丁若種). He also personally compiled a doctrinal book written purely in Korean called “Jugyo Yoji” to instruct the believers.
However, the Great Persecution of 1801 almost devastated the church. Beginning with the martyrdom of Father Zhou Wenmo, almost all of the church’s leaders were killed. However, believers who had scattered to escape persecution gradually formed new groups of believers, and above all, they hastened the movement to recruit clergy. Among the believers at the time who worked hard to rebuild the church were Jeong Ha-sang and Shin Tae-bo, and later, newly converted Yu Jin-gil and Jo Sin-cheol joined them. They frequently visited Beijing or dispatched secret envoys to request the Bishop of Beijing to dispatch missionaries and ensure their continued support. They appealed not only to the Bishop of Beijing but also to the Pope.