By Charles Igwe
Fr Thaddeus Wang Yuesheng was consecrated as the bishop of Zhengzhou, China, on Thursday, ending a 70-year-long sede vacante. Pope Francis appointed Wang to the position on December 16, 2023, as announced by the Holy See Press Office on Thursday morning. The decision was made within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.
The Vatican Fides News Agency, affiliated with the Dicastery for Evangelization, highlighted that Wang’s appointment received support from various components of the local Church, aligning with the principle of synodality.
The Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCC) reported that Wang was elected as the bishop-elect of the Diocese of Zhengzhou on March 22, 2022. The appointment marks a significant development, concluding a seven-decade-long period without a bishop in Zhengzhou.
