• An audience composed of over 1,500 people, which included 120 nuns and 75 priests, attended the ceremony.

An audience composed of over 1,500 people, which included 120 nuns and 75 priests, attended the ceremony. (Photo : China Daily)

In a ceremony held on Aug. 4 in Henan Province, Father Joseph Zhang Yinlin was ordained by the Catholic diocese in Anyang as coadjutor bishop. He is the first Catholic bishop in China ordained in more than three years and the first since China and the Vatican restarted dialogue in June 2014.

An audience composed of over 1,500 people, which included 120 nuns and 75 priests, attended the ceremony, according to Li Jianlin, spokesman for Henan Province's Catholic diocese.

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"The Henan diocese has been trying to cultivate younger bishops to preside over its seven subordinate dioceses, since all current bishops are elderly," he said.

Zhang, who is 44 years old, was elected as candidate for the position on April 29. Because of additional preparation work required, the ceremony was postponed until August.

Vatican Radio, considered as the voice of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy See, extensively covered the event. Zhang's appointment as coadjutor bishop was approved by the highest religious authorities in the country and by the Vatican.

As coadjutor bishop, Zhang promised to fulfill his obligations and to lead the Catholics within the diocese to uphold and respect China's Constitution and guard its unity and stability.

Li thanked other members of the diocese and local authorities who helped make the ordination ceremony a success.

"We tried to make ourselves transparent to the authorities, and would invite them to our bimonthly work conferences to let them know what we are doing." He also added that the approval from the Vatican and the government is of paramount importance for many bishops.

"It would pose a lot of trouble if you are a bishop not recognized by the Vatican," he said.

Another Vatican-approved candidate for bishop, Father Cosmos Ji Chengyi from the Zhumadian diocese, is waiting for his own ordination ceremony.