U.S. auxiliary says appointment of Beijing bishop not handled well

Published: 2007-10-02

HONG KONG (CNS) -- The Chinese-born auxiliary bishop of San Francisco said it was "not good" that Beijing Bishop Joseph Li Shan did not have his papal mandate made public at his recent episcopal ordination. "The Vatican was a little bit weak this time," Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius C. Wang told Catholic News Service Oct. 2 in Hong Kong, without elaborating. Bishop Wang was en route to the United States after visiting his sister in mainland China. Bishop Wang said he was on a brief visit to Mongolia when the ordination in Beijing occurred Sept. 21, but he knew that the papal mandate had not been made public. "His priests did not read it," said Bishop Wang. Father Sun Shang'en of Beijing, diocesan spokesman, told the press after the ordination ceremony, "If the Vatican approves Bishop Li, we are happy and welcome it, but we have not yet seen the apostolic bull from the Vatican."

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