Celso Costantini (Gang Hengyi)

Celso Costantini (1876-1958), an Italian, was the first Vatican's ambassador to China.

He became a priest in 1899, a coadjutor in 1918 and a bishop three years later.

At that time, an anti-Christianity movement was going on in China. To further develop Roman Catholicism in China, the Vatican decided to devote much energy to localization of Christianity in China. So in 1922, Celso Costanini was sent to China as the Vatican's ambassador to assist the bishop across China to do missionary work.

Due to his efforts, the first national Christianity bishop conference was held in Shanghai in 1924. Five years later, he set up the first all-Chinese Catholic Society in China. In 1932, he returned to Italy.