Rome, Italy, Jul 14, 2010 / 09:46 am
The new Bishop of Taichow, Antonio Xu Jiwei, was consecrated last Saturday at the age of 75. With joint Church and State approval of his ordination, he fills an office that was vacant for nearly 50 years.
The Holy See's Press Office released a statement on Wednesday recognizing the ordination of Msgr. Xu who had been acting as the diocesan administrator for the Taichow diocese, also known as the Diocese of Linhai. The position had remained unfilled since the death of Bishop John Hou Joshan in 1962.
Bishop Xu's story is a rather turbulent one, according to a brief biography included in the Vatican message announcing his ordination.
Born in 1935, he attended seminaries from 1948 -1958. He was not yet ordained when in 1960 he was condemned to five years in prison. From 1960 until 1985 he was sentenced to forced labor, which included six years as a school teacher.