A martyr for the Faith – Bishop Han Dingxiang

The death has been announced of Bishop Han Dingxiang, who died while in the custody of the Chinese government. The government than cremated his body 6 hours after his death, at 5 AM.

Han was the underground Catholic bishop of Hebei’s Yongnian diocese and was ordained in December 1989.

He was imprisoned at a labour camp from 1960 to 1979 and detained at least 11 times during his tenure as a bishop, spending about 35 years in different forms of official custody.

Han’s last arrest was in November 1999 while he was conducting a religious retreat for nuns, the statement said.

He was believed to have been held under house arrest at a police apartment from 2003 to 2005.

But members of his congregation had heard no more of him since September 2005, when he was secretly moved to another location.

He is one of a score of elderly priests and bishops who have “conveniently” died within the last few years. Could it be that the Chinese government is stiking out quietly at the underground Roman Catholic Church? A case could certainly be made to show that they are. Let us pray that the Vatican demands an inquest into this matter and does not allow such things to happen in the quiet and the shadows, but exposes them in the light of day.

As for Bishop Dingxiang, I pray that this holy martyr of the Church may at long last find some rest and be greeted at the gates of heaven with “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, now enter into my Kingdom.”