Vatican mourns death of Chinese bishop who joined in illicit ordinations

September 17, 2014

Vatican Radio and Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, have announced the death of Archbishop John Wu Shizhen of Nanchang at the age of 93.

Fides described the prelate, who died in August, as a “zealous shepherd dedicated to formation of seminarians and women religious,” and both reported that he “led the local communities with pastoral zeal.”

Ordained to the priesthood in 1949, the prelate became Archbishop of Nanchang in 1990, and his ministry was approved by the Chinese government. Catholics faithful to the Holy See, however, looked to an underground Church bishop in Yujiang for leadership, UCA News reported in 2010.

In 2000 and again in 2006, Archbishop Wu helped consecrate bishops who were ordained without a papal mandate. In both cases, the Holy See warned of the severe canonical penalties attached to illicit episcopal ordinations.

The praise offered by semi-official Vatican agencies after the archbishop's death, however, suggests that the Chinese prelate-- like many other Catholic clerics recognized by the Chinese government-- had quietly mended his ties with the Holy See.

In 2010, a coadjutor archbishop of Nanchang was ordained with the approval of both the Holy See and the Chinese government, and he pledged to unite the underground and official Nanchang Catholic communities.

 

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Further information:

• Death of Archbishop Giuseppe Wu, zealous shepherd dedicated to formation of seminarians and women religious (Fides)
• Cina. E' morto mons. Giuseppe Wu Shizhen, arcivescovo di Nanchang (Vatican Radio)
• Nanchang welcomes coadjutor bishop (UCA News)
• Anhui´s New Bishop Without Papal Mandate Aims to Boost Evangelization (UCA News, 2006)
• Under new management (CWN, 2006)
• Episcopal Ordination In Hangzhou Draws Vatican´s ´Severe Sanctions´ (UCA News, 2000)