Holy See announces consecration of Shanghai auxiliary bishop

Bishop Wu is the third Chinese bishop appointed by the American-Peruvian pontiff under this agreement. In addition to these appointments, on September 12, Beijing recognized two bishops who are members of the “underground Church” — the Catholic community loyal to Rome — for the first time.

According to the website of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Bishop Wu's ordination was celebrated in Shanghai Cathedral by his bishop, Joseph Shen Bin. In recent years, Bishop Shen has established himself as one of the leaders of the official Church. He holds the position of president of the Chinese Bishops' Conference — an entity not recognized by the Holy See — and vice president of the Patriotic Association.

In April 2023, he was transferred to head the Diocese of Shanghai without the approval of Pope Francis, who only accepted the appointment four months later.

His new auxiliary bishop, Ignatius Wu Jianlin, is also an active member of the Chinese Communist Party's official Catholic bodies. Born in 1970, he was ordained a priest in 1997 after training at the Sheshan Seminary. This institution, located next to the large Marian shrine of the same name, is controlled by the Patriotic Association.

After serving as spiritual director of the seminary, Ignatius Wu Jianlin quickly rose through the ranks of the official hierarchy, becoming deputy director of the Patriotic Association in Shanghai in 2003, then head of Catholic education in the diocese. In 2022, he became deputy secretary general of the Chinese Bishops' Conference and joined the central committee of the Patriotic Association as a member.