Bishop Yang Xiaoting being ordainedHolding degrees from US and pontifical universities, Father John Baptist Yang Xiaoting, 46, was ordained coadjutor bishop of Yan’an (Yulin) diocese on July 15 with both papal approval and government recognition. The new bishop obtained a doctorate from a pontifical university in 1999, the first mainland priest to attain such a qualification since religious activities were revived in the late 1970s.
Bishop Louis Yu Runchen of Hanzhong presided over the ordination, which took place at the rural Xiaoqiaopan church, Jingbian county in the presence of seven Vatican-approved bishops. Bishop Francis Tong Hui of Yan’an who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease also made a brief appearance. Three thousand tickets were distributed for the ceremony while thousands of others watched from outside.
Yan’an, which was once an important Communist revolutionary base, has two bishops, 20 priests and 24 nuns to serve 40,000 Catholics scattered over an area of 80,000 square kilometers. Since his nomination in late 2009, Bishop Yang has visited all parishes of the diocese. Today, most young people only attend church for weddings and funerals. Only one-third attends Mass on major Church feasts, a lower ratio than in other parts of China, he said
Yan’an, which was once an important Communist revolutionary base, has two bishops, 20 priests and 24 nuns to serve 40,000 Catholics scattered over an area of 80,000 square kilometers. Since his nomination in late 2009, Bishop Yang has visited all parishes of the diocese. Today, most young people only attend church for weddings and funerals. Only one-third attends Mass on major Church feasts, a lower ratio than in other parts of China, he said
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