He died at the age of 88 after an illness. Recognized by the Holy See as pastor of the archdiocese since 2016, he officially took office in 2020 with the placet of the government. With 300,000 faithful, the Fuzhou Archdiocese is perhaps the richest in China. The history of the archdiocese, however, is marked by divisions and internal contrasts.
Beijing () – Msgr. Pedro Lin Jiashan, archbishop of Fuzhou, in the southeastern province of Fujian, has died. His death occurred at lunchtime (local time); the 88-year-old prelate had not recovered from an illness. After a three-day wake at the archdiocese’s cathedral, the funeral will be held on April 17.
He was born in the district of Changle (Fujian) on September 2, 1934 and was consecrated bishop in May 1981. He was coadjutor bishop of Fuzhou in 1997 and the Holy See recognized him as pastor of the archdiocese since 2016, after a controversial internal division . He assumed the position of archbishop on June 9, 2020, also having the placet of the Chinese government.
Msgr. Lin was a member of the “underground” Church, and had also been sentenced to 10 years of forced labor in the 1980s. According to some faithful, since the early 2000s he had wanted to make his situation official with the Chinese authorities , but most of his priests stopped him in his attempt.
The Fuzhou Archdiocese is perhaps the richest and most numerous in China. In 2020 it had some 300,000 faithful, 120 priests and more than 500 nuns. Before his official installation three years ago, the local religious community was divided into two groups: some 20 who supported Monsignor Lin; Another 60 supported Father Lin Yuntuan, appointed apostolic administrator of the archdiocese by the Holy See in 2013.
To overcome the disagreements between the clandestine priests and those who had signed the government registry – which is mandatory according to a 2017 state regulation – Monsignor Lin had circulated a letter addressed to religious and faithful in 2019. In it he urged them to remain ” united in spirit on the path of reconciliation, tolerance and mutual acceptance and unity in Christ, avoiding suspicion, attacks and divisions”.
