Vatican Marks 100 Years of Chinese Bishops

The Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome will host an international conference on November 5 marking the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the first six Chinese bishops.

Titled “The Face of the Universal Church in China: 100 Years Since the Consecration of the First Six Chinese Bishops,” the gathering runs from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It brings together senior figures of the Holy See and the Church in China to examine both the historic milestone and the life of the Catholic community there today.

Scheduled speakers include Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state; Cardinal Stephen Chow of Hong Kong; and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. From mainland China, Bishop Li Shan of Beijing and Bishop Ding Zuyao of Haimen will take part. Bishop Li was ordained a bishop in 2007 under Pope Benedict XVI. Bishop Ding was consecrated on October 15 under the provisional agreement between the Holy See and China.

A Century After Pius XI

The anniversary recalls the ordinations celebrated by Pope Pius XI in St. Peter’s Basilica a century ago, when the first six Chinese bishops received episcopal consecration. That act marked a decisive step in the formation of a local Chinese Catholic hierarchy and in the Church’s missionary approach to China.

The program includes sessions on the historical event itself, the building of the local Church, the evolution of episcopal consecrations in China, and related legal questions. A documentary screening is also planned.

The Church in China Today

By convening curial cardinals, leaders from the Chinese-speaking world, and bishops from the mainland, the Urbaniana conference places the centenary within the ongoing relationship between the Holy See and China. It also coincides with broader attention to the situation of Catholics in China and to the Church’s missionary outreach, underscoring the face of the universal Church in that nation one hundred years after Pius XI’s gesture.