Roman Catholic Cathedral of Phnom Penh

In 1863, Cambodia became a protectorate of France within its colonial empire. Construction of the cathedral most likely started after this time.{{cite news|title=Year Zero: horror haunts crippled Cambodia|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eL4yAAAAIBAJ&pg=1081,2952728&dq=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=November 6, 1979|page=7|access-date=December 6, 2012|first=John|last=Pilger|newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen}} It was built near the riverfront of the Mekong{{cite news|title=Cambodian Viets Go Home, But They've Never Seen It|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lZwgAAAAIBAJ&pg=990,3183329&dq=notre+dame+cathedral+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=July 31, 1970|page=9|access-date=December 6, 2012|newspaper=The Lewiston Daily Sun}} and was situated at the heart of Phnom Penh on the Monivong Boulevard{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SRfg1yx_4F0C&q=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&pg=PA24|title=Phnom Penh: A Cultural History|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=September 4, 2008|last=Osborne|first=Milton|pages=24|isbn=9780199711734|access-date=December 6, 2012}} in the Russei Keo District,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XvKKdgmYDt0C&q=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&pg=PA56|title=Cambodge: The Cultivation of a Nation, 1860–1945|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|year=2007|last=Edwards|first=Penny|pages=56|isbn=9780824829230|access-date=December 6, 2012}} a few blocks away from Wat Phnom. A Bishop's Palace{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h1RuAAAAMAAJ&q=phnom+penh+cathedral|title=Phnom Penh then and now|publisher=White Lotus|year=2001|last=Igout|first=Michel|pages=67|isbn=9789748495842|access-date=December 7, 2012}} and a church library{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=24FWc5grhRMC&q=phnom+penh+cathedral&pg=PA288|title=Without Honor: Defeat in Vietnam and Cambodia|publisher=JHU Press|date=December 30, 1998|last=Isaacs|first=Arnold R.|pages=288|isbn=9780801861079|access-date=December 7, 2012}} were built adjacent to the cathedral, which was hailed as an "architectural legacy of the French" by The New York Times.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/25/travel/phnom-penh-s-faded-beauty.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|title=Phnom Penh's Faded Beauty|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Philip|last=Shenon|date=June 25, 1995|access-date=December 6, 2012}}

The grounds of the cathedral was the site of the Russei Keo refugee camp from May 1970 onwards. It harboured 10,000 refugees from North Vietnam who were displaced by the Vietnam War. In October 1972, intense fighting between the Khmer Republic and the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War commenced outside of the capital city. One incident resulted in two Khmer Rouge rockets landing behind the cathedral. However, nothing serious arose from the incident.{{cite news|title=Phnom Penh Under Attack by Infiltrators|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7k1fAAAAIBAJ&pg=4959,715028&dq=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=October 6, 1972|page=12|access-date=December 7, 2012|newspaper=Merced Sun-Star|agency=Associated Press}} Another similar rocket attack occurred in January 1974. This time, the rectory of the cathedral was damaged.{{cite news|title=South Vietnamese Concede Military Victory To China|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rm1WAAAAIBAJ&pg=5123,1782264&dq=phnom+penh+cathedral&hl=en|date=January 21, 1974|page=2|access-date=December 7, 2012|first=George|last=Esper|newspaper=The Robesonian|location=Lumberton|agency=Associated Press}}

The Khmer Rouge eventually won the civil war and entered Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975. The new atheistic regime declared the country would go back to "Year Zero" and destroyed anything capitalistic, religious{{cite web|title=Prosecuting the Crime of Destruction of Cultural Property|url=http://www.genocidewatch.org/images/Cambodia_Prosecuting_the_Crime_of_Destruction_of_Cultural_Property.pdf|access-date=December 13, 2012|first=Sarah J.|last=Thomas|work=GenocideWatch.org|publisher=Genocide Watch|quote=Following its seizure of power in April 1975, the Khmer Rouge regime proclaimed a return to “Year Zero” and set about demolishing links to the past, to the outside world and to religion. The...regime attacked Christian places of worship, even disassembling the Catholic cathedral of Phnom Penh stone by stone until only a vacant lot remained. The Khmer Rouge destroyed all 73 Catholic churches in existence in 1975.}} or evoking the colonial past.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xz-BVT5ENW4C&q=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&pg=PA149|title=Phnom Penh: A Cultural and Literary History|publisher=Signal Books|year=2008|last=Osborne|first=Milton E.|pages=149–151|isbn=9781904955405|access-date=December 7, 2012}} To the Khmer Rouge, the cathedral epitomized all three characteristics and, as a result, it was the first building in the capital city to be destroyed under their new government.{{cite news|title=The Right Rev Michael Evans – Roman Catholic Bishop of East Anglia who furthered the cause of ecumenism and helped to rebuild the persecuted Church in Cambodia|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=138E5D86462FF430&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|page=48|date=August 2, 2011|access-date=December 7, 2012|newspaper=The Times|location=London}} {{subscription required}} The new regime was so steadfast in attempting to eliminate all forms of religion that it tore the cathedral down stone by stone. All that remained was barren wasteland that did not contain a single trace of the church's existence. In addition to the destruction of the church, the neighbouring Catholic cemetery was converted into a banana plantation{{cite news|title=Phnom Penh down, but on way back|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fHBmAAAAIBAJ&pg=6027,1397772&dq=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=November 14, 1980|page=6|access-date=December 7, 2012|first=Christopher|last=Jones|newspaper=The Vancouver Sun}} and books from the library were burned outside on the church lawn. Dismantled stones from the cathedral were used to reinforce dams for paddy farming.{{Cite book |last=Ehlert |first=Caroline |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ta_WAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22preah+ang+chek%22&pg=PA184 |title=Prosecuting the Destruction of Cultural Property in International Criminal Law: With a Case Study on the Khmer Rouge's Destruction of Cambodia's Heritage |date=2013-10-24 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |isbn=978-90-04-25763-4 |pages=184 |language=en}} The cathedral was one of all the seventy-three Catholic churches around the country to be obliterated in 1975, the first year of Khmer Rouge rule of Cambodia.

Despite its complete destruction, the empty land where the cathedral once stood became the location of a multi-faith Christmas celebration in 1979, the year the Khmer Rouge's regime was overthrown.{{cite news|title=Christmas spirit in Phnom Penh|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=egxiAAAAIBAJ&pg=854,8929675&dq=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=December 27, 1979|page=4|access-date=December 7, 2012|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|agency=Australian Associated Press}} The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications now stands on the site of the former cathedral.

The cathedral was built in a French Gothic revival style. The exterior walls of the church were ochre{{cite news|title=The road to Phnom Penh: Old Cambodia has almost vanished|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iRlCAAAAIBAJ&pg=6565,4756098&dq=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=March 27, 1982|page=8|access-date=December 6, 2012|newspaper=The Daily News|location=Middlesboro}} and made of red brick. Located outside the cathedral above the entrance was a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Made of sandstone, the statue was inscribed with the words: "Queen of Justice, Love and Peace."{{cite news|title=Cambodians Fight, Back to the Wall|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eQpaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6958,2083606&dq=cathedral+of+phnom+penh&hl=en|date=July 16, 1970|page=4A|access-date=December 6, 2012|first=Robert S.|last=Elegant|newspaper=The Victoria Advocate}} The only existing feature of the cathedral to survive the Khmer Rouge regime is a set of bells that were previously hung in the church's bell towers. They are now situated on the entrance steps of the National Museum of Cambodia.

• List of cathedrals in Cambodia
• St Joseph's Church, Phnom Penh
• Khmer Rouge rule of Cambodia
• List of churches named after Saint Joseph, this church was dedicated to St Joseph.
• List of destroyed heritage

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Category:Destroyed churches in Cambodia

Category:Roman Catholic cathedrals in Cambodia

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Category:1975 disestablishments in Cambodia

Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1927

Category:1927 establishments in Cambodia

Category:French colonial architecture in Cambodia