SHANGHAI BISHOP JIN ON ILLICIT ORDINATION OF XUZHOU BISHOP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SHANGHAI 007097 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016 TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV CH VT SUBJECT: SHANGHAI BISHOP JIN ON ILLICIT ORDINATION OF XUZHOU BISHOP CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Tarnowka, Section Chief, Political/Economic Section, U.S. Consulate Shanghai. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Shanghai Bishop Jin was shocked to learn of the illicit ordination of Xuzhou Bishop Wang Renlei. He said that the ordination was ridiculous and a challenge by the Chinese government to the Vatican. He said there was no hope for reconciliation in the near future. According to Bishop Jin, the Xuzhou diocese was a weak diocese with few Catholics. However, such an illicit ordination weakened the Catholic church and could lead some believers to become disillusioned. While Bishop Jin appeared to be mentally acute, he was physically weaker then in past meetings. He said he was eager to retire but was told by government officials that he would not be able to retire for at least another three to four years. End Summary. ¶2. (C) In a discussion on November 30, Shanghai Bishop Jin said the non-sanctioned ordination of Xuzhou Bishop Wang Renlei on November 30 was ridiculous and said there was no hope for reconciliation between the Vatican and Beijing in the near future. The ordination was a challenge from the Chinese government to the Vatican and signaled that Beijing would not compromise on key issues. He added that the Vatican would probably also become more rigid in reaction to the ordination and less willing to compromise. ¶3. (C) Bishop Jin said no one had informed him or anyone in his diocese of the ordination before Poloff raised it with him and lamented that this meant he was isolated. He said that the Shanghai diocese was relatively independent. With over 50,000 congregants and 72 priests, the Shanghai diocese was one of the largest and richest dioceses in China. He was therefore able to run the diocese without much government interference. He also had encouraged other dioceses to become more independent and provided them with books and financial assistance. According to Bishop Jin, Ningbo and Wenzhou dioceses were the most independent diocese in East China. Wenzhou had approximately 120,000 Catholics. However, half of the Catholics in Wenzhou belonged to the underground Church and there was no Bishop at the official church. ¶4. (C) According to Bishop Jin, the Xuzhou diocese was very weak and had few Catholics. He said that the former Bishop, Qian Yurong was not well liked or respected. He had married during the Cultural Revolution and never separated from his wife. While Bishop Qian was over 90 years of age, there was no need to rush to replace him. He noted that Nantong diocese, which was also located in Jiangsu Province, had not had a Bishop for a few years and with a larger congregation had a greater need for a Bishop. He noted, however, that the Catholics in Nantong were very fervent and would not accept a Bishop that was not approved by Rome. ¶5. (C) Bishop Jin was shocked to hear that Bishop Wang was only 37 years old and said that it would be difficult for such a young Bishop to be taken seriously. According to Cardinal Law, a bishop must be over 35 years old. He worried that such an illicit ordination would drive people away from the church and would cause some believers to become disillusioned. ¶6. (C) Bishop Jin's health appeared to have deteriorated since Poloff last visited in summer of 2006. The 91-year old Bishop was wearing hearing aids in both ears and walked slower then normal. He added that he had given up studying Spanish because he had problems with his short-term memory. He noted that he asked the Chinese government for permission to retire last year but was denied. Government officials told him last year that he was very important and the reason why the Shanghai diocese was so stable. They told him that he could retire in three or four years, after the 2008 Olympics. He said that he could not wait SHANGHAI 00007097 002 OF 002 until the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. In the meantime, he had divested much of his day-to-day responsibilities to Auxiliary Bishop Xing and other members of the diocese. JARRETT