James Lin Xili
Encyclopedia
James Lin Xili was a Chinese
underground Roman Catholic bishop of Wenzhou
. His 1992 ordination
as the First Bishop of Wenzhou was never recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China
.
Lin Xili was born in Yueqing
, China
, on October 19, 1918. Lin enrolled in the St Vincent Seminary in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningbo in 1931. He was first ordained a Roman Catholic priest on June 3, 1944, and enrolled in the Fu Jen Catholic University
in Beijing just three months later. He graduated from the University in 1948.
Lin returned to the Diocese of Ningbo
, where he worked as the principal of a diocesan Catholic school until 1955. Bishop Andre-Jean-Francois Defebvre of Ningbo named Lin one of the diocese's administrators during the 1950s. He was arrested by the Communist Chinese government in 1955 and sentenced to sixteen years of hard labor
for "counter-revolutionary crimes." He returned to his work as a Catholic priest following his release from prison in 1971. He worked from Yueqing beginning in 1978, where he restored and built new Catholic churches.
James Lin Xili was secretly ordained as the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wenzhou on October 4, 1992. The Vatican had originally created the Wenzhou diocese from existing Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningbo in 1949, but Lin was the diocese's first ever bishop. The government of the People's Republic of China refused to recoginze Lin's appointment. In 1998, Lin went into hiding to escape arrest by authorities. He was found and arrested in 1999.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
underground Roman Catholic bishop of Wenzhou
Wenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
. His 1992 ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
as the First Bishop of Wenzhou was never recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Lin Xili was born in Yueqing
Yueqing
Yueqing , sometimes mis-pronounced and mis-spelled as "Leqing", is a county-level city under the administration of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, in eastern China...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, on October 19, 1918. Lin enrolled in the St Vincent Seminary in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningbo in 1931. He was first ordained a Roman Catholic priest on June 3, 1944, and enrolled in the Fu Jen Catholic University
Fu Jen Catholic University
Fu Jen Catholic University is a co-educational Catholic university located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Republic of China...
in Beijing just three months later. He graduated from the University in 1948.
Lin returned to the Diocese of Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
, where he worked as the principal of a diocesan Catholic school until 1955. Bishop Andre-Jean-Francois Defebvre of Ningbo named Lin one of the diocese's administrators during the 1950s. He was arrested by the Communist Chinese government in 1955 and sentenced to sixteen years of hard labor
Hard Labor
Hard Labor is the eleventh album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1974 .- Cover Artwork :The original album cover, depicting of the birth of a record album , was deemed too controversial and was soon reworked with a huge bandage covering the "birth". The cover also includes an...
for "counter-revolutionary crimes." He returned to his work as a Catholic priest following his release from prison in 1971. He worked from Yueqing beginning in 1978, where he restored and built new Catholic churches.
James Lin Xili was secretly ordained as the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wenzhou on October 4, 1992. The Vatican had originally created the Wenzhou diocese from existing Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningbo in 1949, but Lin was the diocese's first ever bishop. The government of the People's Republic of China refused to recoginze Lin's appointment. In 1998, Lin went into hiding to escape arrest by authorities. He was found and arrested in 1999.