Chen Xilu
Encyclopedia
Mathias Chen Xilu was a Chinese Roman Catholic bishop
of Hengshui
, Hebei. He had been appointed to his post by the Vatican, and had been recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China.
at the age of 15 before entering a larger seminary in Shanghai in 1950. He was ordained a priest in 1955 after which he worked as a doctor in a clinic in Jing county
, Hebei province.
Chen was arrested for his religious beliefs in 1958. He was sent to a hard labor camp
from 1969 until 1979. He returned to Hengshui
diocese in 1979 following his release.
He succeeded Bishop Petrus Fan Wenxing in 1996. The diocese consists of approximately 20,000 Roman Catholics. Chen fell into a coma due to a brain hemorrhage in 2002 and died on January 16, 2008, of organ failure in Jing county, Hebei. He was succeeded by Bishop Peter Feng Xinmao.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, China. It has an urban population of 460,240 in the built up area and a population of 4,340,373 at the 2010 census in its administrative area...
, Hebei. He had been appointed to his post by the Vatican, and had been recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China.
Life
Chen Xilu was born into a Catholic family in 1928. He initially enrolled at a minor Catholic seminarySeminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
at the age of 15 before entering a larger seminary in Shanghai in 1950. He was ordained a priest in 1955 after which he worked as a doctor in a clinic in Jing county
Jing County, Hebei
Jing County is a county in Hebei province, Hengshui prefecture in the People's Republic of China. It has an area of and has 500,000 inhabitants...
, Hebei province.
Chen was arrested for his religious beliefs in 1958. He was sent to a hard labor camp
Labor camp
A labor camp is a simplified detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons...
from 1969 until 1979. He returned to Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, China. It has an urban population of 460,240 in the built up area and a population of 4,340,373 at the 2010 census in its administrative area...
diocese in 1979 following his release.
He succeeded Bishop Petrus Fan Wenxing in 1996. The diocese consists of approximately 20,000 Roman Catholics. Chen fell into a coma due to a brain hemorrhage in 2002 and died on January 16, 2008, of organ failure in Jing county, Hebei. He was succeeded by Bishop Peter Feng Xinmao.