Pope Francis has approved the establishment of the new Diocese of Lüliang in China, the Vatican announced through a public bulletin.
The announcement, released on January 20, also confirmed the consecration of Father Anthony Ji Weizhong as its first bishop.
The borders of the new ecclesiastical territory have been an area of dispute between the Vatican and China for decades, which goes back to when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was still in power.
The CCP redrew the border lines of the original Diocese of Fenyang, created by Pope Pius XII on April 11, 1946, to bring them more in line with the Chinese administrative boundaries.
Fenyang’s see remained vacant after the death of Bishop Huo Cheng in 2023, a prelate recognized by both the Vatican and the Chinese government.
To mitigate further issues, the Holy Father has decided to suppress the said diocese in a desire “to promote the pastoral care of the Lord’s flock and more effectively attend to its spiritual good.”
According to the Vatican, the Diocese of Lüliang shall be a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Taiyuan in the Shanxi Province, with the Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as its episcopal see.
“The ecclesiastical borders of the new diocese will include the following areas: the quarter of Lishi, the counties of Wenshui, Jiaocheng, Xingxian, Linxian, Liulin, Shilou, Lanxian, Fangshan, Zhongyang, Jiaokou and the city-counties of Xiaoyi and Fenyang,” the official bulletin stated.
“The counties of Kelan and Jingle are incorporated into the archdiocese of Taiyuan, whereas the counties of Pingyao and Jiexiu are incorporated into the diocese of Yuci,” the announcement further explained.
The Diocese of Lüliang will possess a total of 21,000 square kilometers and a total population of 3,346,500 inhabitants.
It will be home to around 20,000 Catholics, 51 priests, and 26 religious sisters.
Meanwhile, the first bishop of Lüliang Anthony Ji Weizhong is the second prelate to be ordained since the renewal of the provisional agreement between the Vatican and China in October 2024.
The 51-year-old prelate studied theology at the National Seminary of Beijing and was ordained a priest on October 14, 2001 for the Diocese of Fenyan.
He also took linguistics studies at the University of Xi’an and obtained a licentiate in theology from the University of Sankt Augustin, Germany.
Prior to his episcopal appointment, Bishop Weizhong served as deputy parish priest, head of the diocesan pastoral center, and vicar general of Fenyang.
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