They blow hot, they blow cold - one never knows what to expect of the Chinese. But after all the acrimony last December, apparenrly they are able to work with the Vatican behind the scenes. Deo gratias!
Vatican and Beijing agree on
first Chinese bishop named in 2011
by Jian Mei
Jiangmen, CHINA, March 30 (AsiaNews) - Mgr Paul Liang Jiansen was ordained today as the new bishop of the Diocese of Jiangmen (prvince of Guangdong), southeastern China, which has been without a pastor since 2007.
This is the first episcopal ordination in China in 2011 and is the first since tension between China and the Holy See, as a result of the illicit ordination in Chengde last November, and the National Assembly of Catholic Representatives of the so-called patriotic Church elected a new leadership last December, at which some bishops loyal to the Holy See were forced to participate.
Bishop Liang, 46, was approved by the pope and recognized by Beijing. He told AsiaNews that he feels "relieved" and "sustained" by the fact that the ordination liturgyproceeded smoothly. The ordination was attended by at least 1300 the faithful of his diocese and from the provinces of Shanxi and Guangdong, as well as Hong Kong and Macao.
Liang was ordained by his former seminary classmates of 20 years ago. Bishop Gan Junqiu of Guangzhou presided, with Bishops Liao Hongqing of Meizhou and Su Yongda of Zhanjiang concelebrating.
Also participating were Bishop Tan Yanquan of Guangxi, Bishop Li Suguang of Jiangxi and Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen. All the bishops who attended are legitimate and in communion with the Holy See.
The liturgy, held in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Mary, in Jiangmen, was also attended by his mother and relatives.
Born May 6, 1964, Mgr. Liang studied at the regional seminary in Wuhan (Hubei) and was ordained priest in 1991. He became vicar general in 2000 and was elected bishop of Jiangmen in November 2009.
"My cross is heavy," he said, "but I trust in the Lord to protect and help me live out this episcopal ministry".
He has 7 priests and more than 20 sisters, serving a Catholic population of about 20 thousand in the diocese. “There will be five or six new Baptisms at Easter”, he added.
The prelate plans to strengthen the spiritual formation for priests and nuns, and will begin formation training for the laity. He also plans to work for the restoration of Church properties which were taken by the government from the diocese.
Mgr. Liang’s predecessor was Mgr. Peter Paul Li Panjshir, who died in 2007 at 95.
The Diocese of Jiangmen, once assigned to the Maryknoll missionaries, is famous mainly because it includes the island of Shangchuan and the Church that commemorates the place where in 1552, Saint Francis Xavier died. It continues to be a place of pilgrimage for thousands of faithful.