Shanghai Catholic bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian dies at 96
The long-serving bishop of Shanghai's state-run Catholic Church, Aloysius Jin Luxian , died of an unspecified illness yesterday, raising questions over who will succeed him.
Aloysius Jin Luxian
1916-2013
The long-serving bishop of Shanghai's state-run Catholic Church, Aloysius Jin Luxian, died of an unspecified illness yesterday, raising questions over who will succeed him.
Jin died at a Shanghai hospital, the Shanghai government said in a brief statement.
He was 96, according to the website of the Shanghai Catholic Diocese.
A diocesan official confirmed news of his death, saying: "He has already passed away."
Jin's intended successor was Thaddeus Ma Daqin , but he was stripped of his title of auxiliary bishop last year after he dramatically split with official religious authorities. Ma announced his split from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association during his own ordination as auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, which had been approved by Pope Benedict XVI, last July.
Ma has not been seen in public since and is reportedly being held at the Shanghai seminary on the outskirts of the city, according to Catholic websites.
But Jin also spent nearly two decades in prison before being released on probation in 1972, it said.
Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic ties in 1951 as Rome recognised the Nationalist government in Taipei, which lost the civil war to the Communists.
Although Beijing and the Vatican have improved relations in recent years as the mainland's Catholic population has grown, they remain at odds over which side can ordain priests.
News of Jin's death spread quickly among Shanghai Catholics.
One said: "Our bishop has finished his job. I believe he will go to heaven as soon as possible."
Jin was born in Shanghai on June 20, 1916, his official biography showed. He enrolled in seminary in 1932 and was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1945. Jin became Shanghai Bishop in 1988.
