(ZENIT News / Beijing, 05.01.2025).- In a move that seems both symbolic and calculated, Chinese authorities have proceeded with new episcopal appointments, as if the universal Church were not in mourning, and as if the Vatican’s voice carried little weight.
Within days of Pope Francis’s death, the Diocese of Shanghai held an internal assembly where Father Wu Jianlin, the current vicar general, was approved as auxiliary bishop with only token opposition. A similar process occurred in the Diocese of Xinxiang, where Father Li Jianlin—presented without alternatives—was chosen. In both cases, the procedures followed the established pattern in China: state-controlled Church organs nominate a single candidate, whom the Vatican may «approve» after the fact.
The message behind this choreography is hard to miss. Despite a bilateral agreement between the Holy See and Beijing regarding the appointment of bishops—an agreement personally championed by Pope Francis—Chinese officials have shown no sign of slowing their ecclesiastical agenda. The appointments not only continue unabated during the sede vacante but involve sensitive dioceses and personalities that reflect Beijing’s preference for compliance over reconciliation.
In Shanghai, the appointment of Wu Jianlin is particularly charged. The diocese already includes Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who made headlines in 2012 by publicly distancing himself from the state-sanctioned Patriotic Association during his episcopal ordination. For that act of defiance, he has lived in effective isolation at the Sheshan seminary ever since. Despite offering a formal retraction in 2016, Ma was never fully reinstated, and hopes for his return were briefly rekindled when Pope Francis, in a contentious decision, retroactively approved the appointment of Bishop Shen Bin in 2023—three months after Shen had been installed without papal consent.
The latest appointment further buries those hopes. Wu Jianlin, who led the diocese for a decade under state guidance, is a veteran of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, making him a trusted figure in Party circles. His elevation makes clear that Beijing’s ecclesiastical strategy is not about healing divisions, but consolidating control.
In Xinxiang, the picture is no less complex. The government recognizes the diocese as vacant, but underground Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu, ordained in 1991, remains a spiritual father to many local Catholics. His ministry has repeatedly drawn the attention—and ire—of authorities, resulting in multiple arrests. His replacement, Li Jianlin, is not only loyal to the Party but was also among those who signed a 2018 provincial directive forbidding minors from attending Mass.
These appointments, proceeding so soon after the pope’s death, present an immediate and delicate test for the next pontiff. Will he continue Francis’s policy of cautious engagement with China, or draw a firmer line in defense of the Church’s independence? That decision could define the next chapter in Vatican-China relations.
Meanwhile, the contrast between state control and grassroots Catholic sentiment in China could not be starker. While official Church websites have quietly removed even perfunctory condolences for the late pope—replacing them with news of provincial religious committee meetings and budget plans for «Sinicization»—Catholics across China, including some bishops, have shared images of Francis in mourning on their private social media accounts. This quiet digital homage suggests that, beneath the surface of state-sanctioned narratives, genuine affection for the late pope endures.
But in regions like Wenzhou, even private grief is not tolerated. Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, a member of the underground Church, was detained on April 10—just before Holy Week—and remains incommunicado. Reports suggest his detention has been extended, perhaps as a preemptive measure against any public memorials for the pope.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
