Catholic Diocese of Chifeng Fills Two-Decade Vacancy with New Bishop Ordination

The ordination fills a vacancy for the Catholic diocese of Chifeng that had lasted nearly two decades since the 2006 death of Andreas Zhu Wenyu, who had been ordained without papal mandate, according to AsiaNews, a Catholic missionary news agency based in Italy.

The ordination of the 42-year-old priest, who since 2021 had served as Chifeng’s diocesan administrator, was presided over by Bishop Paul Meng Qinglu of Hohhot, deputy chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, according to the association’s official website.

About 400 people attended the ordination, including priests, nuns and lay representatives from across Inner Mongolia.