Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - With the desire to promote the pastoral care of Lord’s flock, and to attend better to its spiritual welfare, on 20 April 2023, the Supreme Pontiff Francis decided to suppress in Continental China the apostolic prefecture of Yiduxian, which was erected on 16 June 1931 by Pope Pius XI, taking territory from the apostolic vicariate of Zhifu (present-day diocese of Yantai), and at the same time to erect the new diocese of Weifang, as a suffragan of Jinan, province of Shandong, with its episcopal see in the Cathedral Church of Christ the King, located in Qingzhou, city of Weifang.
The ecclesiastical boundaries of the new diocese will included the following areas: the quarters of Weicheng, Hanting, Fangzi and Kuiwen; the four “zones” of communal development; the counties of Linu and Changle; the cities of Qingzhou, Zhucheng, Shouguang, Angiu, Gaomi and Changyi.
Instead, the eastern part of the quarters of Laiwu will be incorporated in the archdiocese of Jinan; whereas the quarters of Boshane, Linzi, the counties of Guangrao, Boxing and Gaoging will be incorporated in the diocese of Zhoucun.
In this way, the territory of the diocese of Weifang conforms to that of the principal city of Weifang, with a total area of 16,167.23 km2 and a total population of 9,386,705 inhabitants, of whom, around 6000 are Catholics, served by ten priests and six religious sisters. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 29/01/2024)
