Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Wanxian (Agenzia Fides) – On December 8, 2008, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Joseph Xu Zhixian of Wanhsien (Wanxian/Wanzhou) passed away at 92 years of age in the City of Chongqing (China mainland).
The Prelate was born on July 6, 1916. He was ordained a priest on April 18, 1946 and Coadjutor Bishop of Wanxian on July 31, 1989. For some time, he had been experiencing serious health difficulties. He was no longer able to feed himself and in his final days, he often entered into a coma and did not recognize anyone. He was hospitalized in September and released in November, to pass his final weeks on earth in his Cathedral. The Lord called him precisely on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, to whom the Cathedral is dedicated.
The Vicar General of the Diocese, Fr. Matteo Ran Qiliang, mentioned that the Prelate was assisted by 2 priests and several religious sisters, who accompanied him in prayer during his agony. Coadjutor Bishop Paul He Zeqing was not present because he had gone, along with the majority of the clergy to Kaixian (20 km from Wanxian) for the consecration of a new church on the occasion of the Marian feast.
Bishop Xu is remembered for having contributed in many ways to the formation of priests, as professor in the seminary in the province of Sichuan. He was a pastor on fire for his work and faithfully served the people of his diocese until the end, in spite of his age.
In 1998, Bishop Xu, then Coadjutor Bishop, was sent along with Diocesan Bishop Matias Duan Yinming, to participate in the Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops, however the government did not grant them permission to leave China.
The Diocese of Wanxian, which used to form a part of the province of Sichuan before being erected as the City of Chongqing in 1997, extends to the district of Wanzhou and 8 counties in a fairly mountainous area. The Diocese currently has 60,000 Catholics and 11 young priests, along with the young Bishop He Zeqing, Bishop Xu's successor, and 16 sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Family, who work actively in pastoral ministry and evangelization.
His remains were placed in the Cathedral in order to allow the clergy, religious, and lay faithful to pay homage to the deceased Bishop, prior to the funeral masses offered by his successor, Bishop Paul He Zeqing. (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2009)
