Chinese priest formally protests of usurpation of jailed bishop’s authority
August 20, 2024
» Continue to this story on AsiaNews
CWN Editor's Note: A Chinese Catholic priest has taken the bold step of formally protesting actions taken by another priest, who has been designated by the government to administer the Diocese of Wenzhou, while the legitimate bishop of Wenzhou has been imprisoned.
Father Jin Mengxiu wrote to the Religious Affairs Department of the Zhejiang province, protesting a reorganization plan for the parishes of Wenzhou. The plan was apparently implemented by Father Ma Xianshi, a priest who has been allowed by the government to handle diocesan affairs.
Bishop Peter Shao Zumin was ordained as coadjutor of Wenzhou in 2011, and thus became the canonical bishop in 2016 when his predecessor, Bishop Vincent Zhu Wei-Fang, died at the age of 88. But Bishop Shao has never been recognized by the government, and has been arrested repeatedly. At the time of his most recent arrest, in January of this year, he was instructed to bring along clothes sufficient for several months.
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
