Vatican honors underground Bishop Giulio Jia Zhiguo, 90, amid funeral curbs in China. Rogue priest claims succession despite excommunication.
Newsroom (04/11/2025, Gaudium Press) The Vatican has paid tribute to Msgr. Giulio Jia Zhiguo, the clandestine bishop of Zhengding in China’s Hebei province, who died at age 90, describing him as a steadfast leader who “never allowed himself to be discouraged” despite persecution. The remembrance, published exclusively on the Chinese-language section of Vatican News, highlights his dedication to evangelization, priestly formation, and care for disabled children while maintaining full communion with the Pope.
Msgr. Jia’s death was first reported by AsiaNews on October 28. Ordained a priest on June 7, 1980, after a protracted and challenging formation period under Msgr. Peter Fan Xueyan of Baoding, he was secretly consecrated bishop of Zhengding later that year. The diocese, unrecognized by Chinese authorities, serves an estimated 130,000 faithful, supported by numerous priests and diocesan religious communities.
“During a difficult and complex period,” the Vatican News article states, “Msgr. Jia carried out his pastoral ministry while facing tense relations with the civil authorities, which at times led to serious limitations on his personal freedom.” Despite these hardships, including repeated detentions, he persisted in his mission.
The bishop’s funeral on October 31 in Jinzhou faced interference from local officials, according to AsiaNews sources in Henan province. Authorities reportedly sought to deter attendance, imposing restrictions on the ceremony.
Msgr. Jia’s passing exacerbates the crisis of vacant episcopal sees in China, where dozens remain unfilled amid tensions between the Holy See and Beijing. Complicating matters, Fr. Paolo Dong Guanhua, an underground priest previously at odds with Rome, declared himself the new bishop of Zhengding on November 1 via a public message.
Dong’s claim lacks legitimacy. In 2016, he asserted ordination without papal mandate, prompting Msgr. Jia to declare him excommunicated. “Since Dong Guanhua was ordained a bishop privately and installed on September 11, 2016,” Msgr. Jia wrote at the time, “Dong and the one who ordained him have violated Canon 1382 of Canon Law, and are subject to [immediate] latae sententiae excommunication.”
The episode underscores Msgr. Jia’s unwavering loyalty to the Pope and the challenges facing China’s underground Catholic community under the 2018 Sino-Vatican provisional agreement on bishop appointments.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it
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