HONG KONG (UCAN): Bishop James Su Zhimin of the unofficial Church in Baoding, Hebei province, who was last seen at a hospital in 2003 is feared dead as state officials are reported by his nephew as pushing the Vatican to recognise Coadjutor Bishop Francis An Shuxin as bishop in his place.
Bishop Su, who would be 88-years-old was detained in 1997 after refusing to join the government-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).
Su Tianyou, Bishop Su’s nephew, who has been trying to discover his uncle’s whereabouts, quoted a diocesan source expressing fears that the bishop is no longer alive. However, he said that government officials could not confirm this.
The state authorities have never recognised Bishop Su, who fiercely defended the unofficial Church. Instead, they considered Bishop An the bishop of Baoding.
Bishop An, who is 71-years-old, was originally part of the unofficial Church, and was secretly ordained as auxiliary bishop in 1993.
In 1996, he was detained by authorities for 10 years. Since his release in 2006, he has been working openly and became vice-chairperson of the local CCPA.
He was installed as the bishop of the official Church in Baoding in 2010, with state authorities recognising his position,
According to Su Tianyou, local Catholics refuse to accept him as the bishop of Baoding, which is why authorities want him to be recognised by the Vatican. He said the move was part of a plan to make the local Church submissive as Bishop An would unquestionably toe the government line, leaving the local Church wholly under the state.
However, Bishop An said that he had not heard about the state trying to get Vatican recognition for his status.
“Bishop Su is the official bishop of Baoding Diocese and I am the coadjutor of the bishop. I have a lot of respect for Bishop Su. When I was released in 2006, I asked provincial government officials about Bishop Su’s whereabouts, but they said they had no idea,” Bishop An said, adding that he was unsure whether Bishop Su was dead.
Bishop An recounted that at a meeting with officials at the National Religious Affairs Administration in Beijing, he tried to discover Bishop Su’s whereabouts, but was told by a senior official that “it is not a matter that we can resolve. It’s up to the central government and the Vatican.”
Su Tianyou said he believes Bishop Su may be dead now. “But we still hope to see him, whether he is alive or dead.”
He said the Vatican could help unravel the mystery surrounding the missing bishop.
Reports say representatives of the Vatican and China are to meet this month to review the provisional agreement they signed in 2018 on bishops’ appointments.
“The Vatican should be able to take the lead in the negotiations and demand that Bishop Su be released,” Su Tianyou said.
He said most local Catholics feel Bishop An compromised his faith for status and that Vatican cooperation with Beijing is a betrayal of those like Bishop Su who have been standing up to the communists.
“The Vatican cannot forget the bishops in prison, but the CCPA teases them,” Su Tianyou said.
Born in 1932, Bishop Su was arrested eight times, imprisoned, adn placed put under house arrest or put through labour camps for more than 30 years. He was ordained a priest in 1981 and appointed bishop of Baoding in 1992.
