VATICAN CITY — After five years of refusal, the Chinese government has officially recognized Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen as bishop of Tianjin, the Vatican said, in what it called “a positive fruit of the dialogue established over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese government.” The Vatican said in a statement: “The Holy See has learned with satisfaction that today, 27 August 2024, Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen has been officially recognized under civil law as bishop of Tianjin (Municipality of Tianjin, People’s Republic of China).” Bishop Shi, 95, was ordained coadjutor bishop of Tianjin in 1982 and, in 2019, he succeeded the late Bishop Paul Liu Shuhe as bishop of Tianjin. But he was only recognized as a priest by the Chinese government and was placed under house arrest for his refusal to join the government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association, which acts as a liaison between registered Catholics and the Chinese government. According to the Vatican statement, the diocese has approximately 56,000 Catholics, 21 parishes, 62 priests and “a good number of religious sisters.” (CNS)
