Communist Authorities Arrest Chinese Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, Again
Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin: Image Courtesy of Asia News
2024 began on a disturbing note for Chinese Catholics. Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, the 61-year-old Vatican-approved ordinary of the Diocese of Wenzhou in Eastern China, was taken into custody by Chinese authorities on January 2, according to AsiaNews.
Bishop Shao is loyal to the Holy See rather than the Chinese state church and was appointed by the Vatican, not the Communist-Party-controlled “Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.
Because he is not recognized by the Chinese government, he is routinely jailed by local authorities to prevent him from carrying out his ministry.
Bishop Shao was set to be installed as the new senior Bishop of Zhejiang (Wenzhou), with a Catholic population of approximately 120,000.
