Censors allow Xinjiang bishop back to blogging

An elderly bishop in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region has launched his second blog as a way of reaching out to his flock in northwestern China. Bishop Paul Xie Tingzhe of Urumqi is no stranger to cyperspace. The 79-year-old used to join a Chinese Catholic chatroom and even sang Latin hymns online in 2005.

In 2007, he started a blog to upload his homilies. A year later, however, he found he was unable to login to it. On April 3, Holy Saturday, this year, he decided to start another blog, XPaul1600 to upload his homily for Easter Sunday.The bishop has since posted motivational stories and biblical articles. The Internet service in Xinjiang had been restricted since ethnic clashes occurred in Urumqi, on July 5, 2009, to prevent radicals mobilizing people online. Internet restrictions have loosened gradually since March 20 this year, according to mainland media reports.

He surmises that he could be a target of surveillance. The local government only recognizes the Vatican-approved bishop, who was clandestinely ordained in 1991, as a priest. A chatroom operator who knows Bishop Xie told UCA News that the prelate’s willingness to use the Internet at his age shows that he is an open-minded person. He is “the only bishop that I know who is interested in using chatrooms,” she said. Bishop Xie says he supports the idea of lifelong learning. He has even helped his priests to enter the digital world. - Courtesy: UCAN