Leo XIV Accepts Chinese Bishop Who Just Closed a Church
The Vatican announced the episcopal consecration of Monsignor Francesco Li Jianlin as the new bishop of the Prefecture of Xinxiang in Henan, China, on December 5.
The liturgy was held at the church of Weihui and celebrated by Bishop Li Shan of Beijing. He heads the state-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.
Li Jianlin is the second bishop elected during the papal interregnum following the death of Pope Francis.
The appointment was formally approved by Pope Leo XIV on August 11. It comes with the acceptance of the “resignation” of the underground bishop Giuseppe Zhang Weizhu of Xinxiang.
Loyal Catholic Bishop Erased from Memory
The official Chinese report made no mention of papal approval and omitted any reference to Bishop Zhang Weizhu. Appointed in 1991, he was never recognized by Beijing. For decades he faced arrests, restrictions, and suppression because he refused to join the Patriotic Association.
One notable episode occurred in 2021, when police dismantled a clandestine …More
Everything of Friday’s announcement indicates that this is deal is the complete capitulation of the Holy See to the Chinese Communist Party: The Vatican announced the resignation of Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu at age 67 as a bihop selected by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was consecrated as his successor. Although the Vatican now refers to Zhang as Bishop Emeritus and the CCP acknowledges this title, he remains under strict house arrest, isolated from his family and unable to attend the consecration ceremony.
All of this, the Vatican says, occurred within the framework of its secret Provisional Agreement with China.
Chinese bishop ‘elected’ during sede vacante is ordained with papal approval