VZCZCXRO2326
RR RUEHGH RUEHROV
DE RUEHGH #7097/01 3340912
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 300912Z NOV 06
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5315
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0661
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0328
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0437
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0011
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0311
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0349
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 5640

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SHANGHAI 007097 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD 
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/30/2016 
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV CH VT
SUBJECT: SHANGHAI BISHOP JIN ON ILLICIT ORDINATION OF XUZHOU BISHOP 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Tarnowka, Section Chief, Political/Economic 
Section, U.S. Consulate Shanghai. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Shanghai Bishop Jin was shocked to learn of 
the illicit ordination of Xuzhou Bishop Wang Renlei.  He said 
that the ordination was ridiculous and a challenge by the 
Chinese government to the Vatican.  He said there was no hope 
for reconciliation in the near future.  According to Bishop Jin, 
the Xuzhou diocese was a weak diocese with few Catholics. 
However, such an illicit ordination weakened the Catholic church 
and could lead some believers to become disillusioned.  While 
Bishop Jin appeared to be mentally acute, he was physically 
weaker then in past meetings.  He said he was eager to retire 
but was told by government officials that he would not be able 
to retire for at least another three to four years.  End 
Summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (C) In a discussion on November 30, Shanghai Bishop Jin said 
the non-sanctioned ordination of Xuzhou Bishop Wang Renlei on 
November 30 was ridiculous and said there was no hope for 
reconciliation between the Vatican and Beijing in the near 
future.  The ordination was a challenge from the Chinese 
government to the Vatican and signaled that Beijing would not 
compromise on key issues.  He added that the Vatican would 
probably also become more rigid in reaction to the ordination 
and less willing to compromise. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (C)  Bishop Jin said no one had informed him or anyone in 
his diocese of the ordination before Poloff raised it with him 
and lamented that this meant he was isolated.  He said that the 
Shanghai diocese was relatively independent.  With over 50,000 
congregants and 72 priests, the Shanghai diocese was one of the 
largest and richest dioceses in China.  He was therefore able to 
run the diocese without much government interference.  He also 
had encouraged other dioceses to become more independent and 
provided them with books and financial assistance.  According to 
Bishop Jin, Ningbo and Wenzhou dioceses were the most 
independent diocese in East China.  Wenzhou had approximately 
120,000 Catholics.  However, half of the Catholics in Wenzhou 
belonged to the underground Church and there was no Bishop at 
the official church. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (C) According to Bishop Jin, the Xuzhou diocese was very 
weak and had few Catholics.  He said that the former Bishop, 
Qian Yurong was not well liked or respected.  He had married 
during the Cultural Revolution and never separated from his 
wife.  While Bishop Qian was over 90 years of age, there was no 
need to rush to replace him.  He noted that Nantong diocese, 
which was also located in Jiangsu Province, had not had a Bishop 
for a few years and with a larger congregation had a greater 
need for a Bishop.  He noted, however, that the Catholics in 
Nantong were very fervent and would not accept a Bishop that was 
not approved by Rome. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (C) Bishop Jin was shocked to hear that Bishop Wang was only 
37 years old and said that it would be difficult for such a 
young Bishop to be taken seriously.  According to Cardinal Law, 
a bishop must be over 35 years old.  He worried that such an 
illicit ordination would drive people away from the church and 
would cause some believers to become disillusioned. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (C)  Bishop Jin's health appeared to have deteriorated since 
Poloff last visited in summer of 2006.  The 91-year old Bishop 
was wearing hearing aids in both ears and walked slower then 
normal.  He added that he had given up studying Spanish because 
he had problems with his short-term memory.  He noted that he 
asked the Chinese government for permission to retire last year 
but was denied.  Government officials told him last year that he 
was very important and the reason why the Shanghai diocese was 
so stable.  They told him that he could retire in three or four 
years, after the 2008 Olympics.  He said that he could not wait 
 
SHANGHAI 00007097  002 OF 002 
 
 
until the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.  In the meantime, he had 
divested much of his day-to-day responsibilities to Auxiliary 
Bishop Xing and other members of the diocese. 
JARRETT