The favorite is the current Haimen shepherd. He is the head of the Council of Chinese Bishops, a body loyal to the Communist Party. Actually, the Shanghai office has been vacant for 10 years, since the death of Monsignor Jin Luxian. His successor, Monsignor Ma Daqin, has been under house arrest since 2012. The last episcopal investiture in China took place on September 8, 2021.
Rome () – Tomorrow the new bishop of Shanghai will assume his duties. he was able to see a circular issued by the local authorities in which the priests of the diocese are invited to attend the celebration. The document does not mention any name, but in all probability the choice fell on Mons. Shen Bin, currently a pastor from neighboring Haimen (Jiangsu). Recognized by the Holy See and the Chinese Government since his ordination in 2010, according to various rumors he has been in the city since yesterday.
Mons star Shen is on the rise. He is head of the Council of Chinese Bishops, a body not recognized by the Holy See and linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Since last month he has been among the 11 Catholic representatives – and among the vice presidents – of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPCPC), which together with the much more important National People’s Assembly is called upon to formalize the decisions already taken by President Xi Jinping and the Party leadership.
In fact, the episcopal see of Shanghai has been vacant for 10 years, since the death of Monsignor Aloyisius Jin Luxian, “official” bishop since 1988, then elected by the “patriotic” Church loyal to the PCC, in April 2013.
In 2005, Monsignor Jin reconciled with the Pope. The Holy See decided that Monsignor Joseph Fan Zhongliang would be the ordinary bishop and Monsignor Jin the auxiliary. As they were both very old, the Vatican asked them to think of a successor, and they chose Monsignor Joseph Xing Wenzhi.
In 2012 Monsignor Xing submitted his resignation, the reasons for which have not yet been clarified, and in 2014 Monsignor Fan also passed away. The Church of Shanghai proceeded to elect a new auxiliary bishop in the person of Thaddeus Ma Daqin, ordained with a papal mandate and accepted by the government as coadjutor bishop (with right of succession). Since 2012, however, Bishop Ma has been under house arrest at the Sheshan Seminary for daring to resign from the Patriotic Association immediately after his episcopal ordination. Although he later returned to the party’s dependent body, the government does not recognize him as bishop of the diocese and the faithful have no chance to meet with him.
The Sino-Vatican agreement on the appointment of bishops, signed in 2018 and renewed in October 2020 and 2022, has not stopped the persecution of Catholics, especially unofficial (clandestine) ones. In November, the Holy See denounced the violation of the agreement by the Chinese authorities when it appointed Monsignor Juan Peng Weizhao as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Jiangxi. Despite numerous vacancies, there has been no episcopal investiture in China since September 8, 2021.
