First bishop of Lüliang consecrated, in accordance with China-Holy See agreement
By Pope
“Desiring to promote the pastoral care of the Lord’s flock and more effectively attend to its spiritual good,” Pope Francis has decided to suppress the Diocese of Fenyang in mainland China, originally established on April 11, 1946, by Pope Pius XII.
At the same time, he has created the new Diocese of Lüliang, which will be a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province.
The episcopal seat will be located at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Fenyang, a city within Lüliang.
Details of the new diocese
The Holy See Press Office announced the news in a statement, explaining that the ecclesiastical boundaries of the new Diocese of Lüliang will include “the following areas: the Lishi District, the counties of Wenshui, Jiaocheng, Xingxian, Linxian, Liulin, Shilou, Lanxian, Fangshan, Zhongyang, Jiaokou, and the cities of Xiaoyi and Fenyang.”
The statement further clarified that “the counties of Kelan and Jingle are joined to the Archdiocese of Taiyuan, while the counties of Pingyao and Jiexiu are joined to the Diocese of Yuci.”
This arrangement ensures that the territory of the Diocese of Lüliang aligns with that of Lüliang City, covering a total area of 21,000 square kilometers. The population stands at approximately 3.35 million, with “about 20,000 Catholics, served by 51 priests and 26 nuns.”
First bishop ordained
The Vatican also announced that on Monday, January 20, the episcopal ordination of Bishop Antonio Ji Weizhong as the first bishop of Lüliang took place.
His appointment by Pope Francis on October 28, 2024, was made after “his candidacy was approved within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.”
Bishop Ji Weizhong, a native of Wenshui in Shanxi, was born on August 3, 1973. He studied theology at the National Seminary in Beijing and was ordained a priest on October 14, 2001, for the Diocese of Fenyang.
He later pursued language studies at Xi’an University and earned a Licentiate in Theology from the University of Sankt Augustin in Germany. In Fenyang, he served as “vice-parish priest, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center, and vicar general.”
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