Pope announces 3 Chinese bishops, reorganizes diocese under controversial accord
ABC News
Pope Francis has announced the nomination of a new Chinese bishop, the third in less than a week
ROME -- Pope Francis on Wednesday announced the nomination of a new Chinese bishop, the third in less than a week, in an apparent sign that a controversial 2018 accord with Beijing governing the nomination of Chinese bishops is working.
Bishop Peter Wu Yishun was consecrated bishop of Minbei in Fujian in southeast China, the Vatican said in a statement. It noted that Francis had named him bishop on Dec. 6.
On Monday, the Vatican announced a new bishop for Weifang and said Francis had reorganized the church territory and erected a new diocese there to conform with China’s geographic delineation of the area. Bishop Anthony Sun Wenjun had been named last April but was actually consecrated Monday, the Vatican said.
The Vatican said Francis made the decision to redraw Weifang’s borders “with the desire to promote the pastoral care of the Lord’s flock, and to attend better to its spiritual welfare.” It noted that the previous territory, called an apostolic prefecture, had been erected in 1931 by Pope Pius XI.
On Jan. 25, the Vatican announced the consecration of the new bishop of Zhengzhou, Tadeus Wang Yuesheng.
