ASIA/CHINA - The three Bishops of Zhangjiakou celebrate the Eucharistic liturgy together in Qujiazhuang: communion in the diocese is "a grace and a gift from God"

Zhangjiakou (Agenzia Fides) – The consecration of the Bishop of Zhangjiakou is “a grace and a gift from God,” and together with the newly consecrated bishop, the auxiliary bishop and the bishop emeritus of the diocese join together to promote communion in the diocese, the pastoral care of communities, and the proclamation of the Gospel.
Joseph Wang Zhengui, appointed bishop by Pope Leo XIV on July 8 and consecrated on September 10, expressed his gratitude for the journey begun in the new diocese of Zhangjiakou during the homily of the solemn Eucharistic liturgy of thanksgiving, concelebrated with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ma Yan’en and Augustine Cui Tai, bishop emeritus. Thirty-one diocesan priests, several religious sisters, and thousands of faithful joyfully participated in the liturgical celebration, perceived as a grateful witness of ecclesial communion. The solemn liturgy took place in the parish of Qujiazhuang, Bishop Wang's hometown, in an atmosphere of celebration and serene familiarity. After the Mass, Auxiliary Bishop Ma and Bishop Emeritus Cui delivered brief addresses, emphasizing that the merger of the two former dioceses is part of God's plan, responds to current needs, and represents the path to the orderly development of the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou. Bishop Ma remarked: "As auxiliary bishop, as bishop emeritus, and as priests, we must embrace reality with obedience, set aside prejudices, unite wholeheartedly, and work together to promote a speedy return to the ordinary pastoral life of the diocese. We will actively collaborate with Bishop Wang Zhengui to address all commitments in a coordinated manner, writing together a splendid chapter for the future of the diocese." The faithful enthusiastically welcomed the three bishops, kissing their pastoral rings and receiving their blessings. The celebration concluded with a lunch shared by priests, nuns, and parishioners. The concelebration of the three bishops in Qujiazhuang represents an event of ecclesial significance within the process of reconfiguration of the ecclesial structure in the territories of Hebei, where Pope Pius XII had established the dioceses of Xuanhua and Xiwanzi in 1946. This reconfiguration was agreed upon between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China. On July 8, Pope Leo XIV suppressed the dioceses of Xuanhua and Xiwanzi and established the new diocese of Zhangjiakou "with the desire to promote the pastoral care of the Lord’s flock and to attend more effectively to its spiritual good." The reorganization of the territories, ordered by the Pope, also responded to the demands of Chinese politicians, who are pushing for the alignment of the boundaries of the ecclesiastical districts with those of the civil administrative districts, which have been modified in recent decades at the instigation of the government. Joseph Wang Zhengui was appointed as the first bishop to head the new diocese of Zhangjiakou. He was appointed by Pope Leo on July 8th, after the Pope himself had approved his candidacy "within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China." Joseph Wang Zhengui was consecrated Bishop of Zhangjiakou on September 10th (see Fides, 10/9/2025). The issue of the two bishops who had headed the two suppressed dioceses, Augustine Cui Tai (75 years old) and Joseph Ma Yan'en (65 years old), remained to be resolved. Both had received their episcopal ordination before the signing of the agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China on the appointment of Chinese bishops, and their episcopal sees had not been recognized by the Chinese political authorities.
On September 4, Pope Leo XIV appointed Joseph Ma Yan'en, the former Bishop of Xiwanzi, as Auxiliary Bishop of Zhangjiakou. Eight days later, on September 12, the episcopal sees of the two bishops were also recognized by the civil authorities. On the same day, in two separate ceremonies, Joseph Ma Yan'en was installed as Auxiliary Bishop of the new diocese of Zhangjiakou, and the civil authorities also recognized the episcopal see of Augustine Cui Tai, Bishop Emeritus of Xuanhua, one of the two dioceses suppressed by Pope Leo on July 8. (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2025)

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