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Unrecognized Chinese bishops detained by government released

Unrecognized Chinese bishops detained by government released

By  Catholic News Service
  • April 17, 2012

HONG KONG - Two Chinese bishops not recognized by the government were freed by authorities on Easter, church sources told the Asian church news agency UCA News.

Coadjutor Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou, in eastern Zhejiang province, and Bishop Peter Jin Lugang of Nanyang, in central Henan province, were detained, respectively, for four weeks and for four days.

Bishop Jin was taken away in early April by officials wanting to prevent him from celebrating the chrism Mass, which symbolizes a bishop's communion with his clergy, and other Easter liturgies.

The prelate was detained in a guesthouse and taken by four officials to several tourist spots before being released April 8, UCA News reported April 16.

Bishop Shao was detained March 19. Local church sources said his detention included a "brainwashing" class on the country's religious policies.

Sources told UCA News that Bishop Shao was detained because he participated in the secret episcopal ordination of the bishop of Tianshui last year. His participation was seen by the government as "an act of defiance to the official church's 'self-election and self-ordination' of bishops," said the sources.

They said Bishop Shao, 49, was escorted by government officials to Leshan Diocese, where he met the excommunicated Father Paul Lei Shiyin, ordained as a bishop without a papal mandate last June. Father Lei and the officials showed Bishop Shao some historic monuments, a church-run hospital, guesthouse and the construction site of the new bishop's house.

Father Paul Jiang Sunian, chancellor of Wenzhou, who was detained with Bishop Shao, was released March 24, UCA News reported.

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