Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tsinan (Agenzia Fides) – On May 18, 2008, at nearly 96 years of age, Archbishop Giacomo Zhao Ziping of Tsinan (Jinan), in the province of Shandong (continental China), passed away. The news of his death came as a surprise to all: he died at 5:00am, on the feast of the Holy Trinity, after having been hospitalized for cardiac arrest, just hours beforehand. His desire had always been not to be a bother to anyone at the moment of his death.
The Prelate was born July 23, 1912 into a Catholic family in the small town of Manzhuang, 50 kilometers from Jinan. He was ordained a priest on August 25, 1937, at the beginning of the China-Japan conflict. During that difficult period, he carried out his pastoral labor in the camps, until the early 1950s, when he was arrested and sent to the forced-labor camps, where he was obliged to look after the livestock.
In the Cultural Revolution, he was sentenced to a 2-year period of manual carbon-transport. After he was released, he began pastoral activity in the parish of the Immaculata in Beifang, with a group of his brothers. He was also known as good violinist. On April 24, 1988, he was ordained a bishop.
Those who knew Archbishop Zhao personally and heard his conversations that were marked by serenity and grace, bear witness to the fact that his attitude was always in line with that of Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to Chinese Catholics: firm in his principles, with respect and dialogue for all, including the Authorities and the diverse government organizations.
Among the various pastoral initiatives that he began is the extensive effort he madein the formation of the clergy, in the promotion of feminine religious life, and for the restoration of several churches, among them the Cathedral of Hongjialou, a gothic-style edifice built in 1905 and declared a national monument in 2006.
Auxiliary Archbishop Giuseppe Zhang Xianwang, 43 years of age, who will succeed him in leading the Archdiocese, remembers: “All his life, Archbishop Zhao faced difficulties of all kinds without every complaining. We, of the younger generations, should learn from his dedication to his work without letting ourselves be frightened by the obstacles we find in the work of evangelization. Archbishop Zhao has witnessed nearly a century of progress in the local Church.”
The Archdiocese of Tsinan (Jinan) has over 60,000 Catholics: 40 are priests (almost all of whom are young) and 11 churches, including centers for cultural activities. In the Provincial Major Seminary of Saint John the Baptist, there are some 50 students. The Archdiocese also has a Minor Seminary and the Congregation of the Immaculata has 23 religious sisters.
The mortal remains of the Prelate will remain on display in the Cathedral of Jinan, where Masses have been celebrated on a continual basis, along with the praying of the Rosary. The solemn funeral rites, presided by Archbishop Giuseppe Zhang Xianwang, took place on May 22, at the Cathedral. The funeral was also attended by the Bishops of Shandong, one hundred priests, and numerous groups of faithful. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 30/5/2008)
