Sixth Chinese bishop ordained under Pope Leo XIV

Father Paolo Liu Honggang was ordained bishop of the Diocese of Datong in China’s Shanxi province on Monday.

The Holy See said Pope Leo XIV appointed Liu bishop of Datong on Aug. 10 after approving his candidacy under the mechanisms established by the Vatican’s agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops.

The ordination is the third episcopal consecration in China in just two months and the sixth to take place during Leo’s pontificate, although not all six episcopal appointments originated under the current pope.

One of the six prelates had already been ordained a bishop in 2017, while two others were initially selected unilaterally by Chinese authorities during the sede vacante between the death of Pope Francis and the election of Leo. The new pope subsequently approved their appointments.

A life of pastoral service Liu was born Nov. 2, 1970, in Wufuying village near Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province.

He began his priestly formation at the Fenyang seminary, where he studied from 1988 to 1992. He later attended the National Seminary in Beijing from 1992 to 1996, earning a bachelor’s degree in theology.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Datong…