Joseph Shen Bin

Joseph Shen Bin (born 23 February 1970) is a Chinese prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as Bishop of Shanghai and president of Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. He was Bishop of Haimen from 2010 to 2023.

Joseph Shen Bin
Bishop of Shanghai
Native name
沈斌
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseDiocese of Shanghai
Appointed15 July 2023
PredecessorMark Yuan Wen-zai
Orders
Ordination1 November 1996
Consecration21 April 2010
Personal details
Born (1970-02-23) 23 February 1970
Qidong, Jiangsu, China
Previous post(s)Bishop of Haimen (2010–23)
MottoAdveniat Regnum Tuum ("Thy Kingdom Come")
Coat of armsJoseph Shen Bin's coat of arms

Biography

Joseph Shen Bin was born into a Catholic family[1] on 23 February 1970 in Qidong, in the province of Jiangsu. He studied philosophy in Sheshan, Shanghai, and in theology in Beijing,[2] and he was ordained a priest on 1 November 1996.[3] He worked in the diocese of Haimen as parish vicar in Sacred Heart of Jesus parish and then as vicar general of the diocese, and then as parish priest in the parish Mother of God parish.[2]

On 17 April 2010 he was appointed to the see of Haimen, with the consent of the Holy See and the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He received his episcopal consecration on 21 April[2] in the Cathedral of Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in Haimen (Nantong).[1]

In September 2017, he participated in a meeting organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio in the German dioceses of Münster and Osnabrück.[1] On that occasional he told an interviewer about the relationship between the Church and the government of China:[1]

We have understood long time ago that in China, to carry on, it is convenient not to oppose the government, and sometimes we have to (it is convenient to) distinguish between ecclesial matters, matters of faith on one side, and economic and administrative issues, which in itself do not affect the deposition of faith, on another side.... The Gospel does not ask us to assume the role of antagonists of the constituted authorities. And Jesus says we must be smart as snakes and simple as doves. I believe that now, in China, dialogue and reconciliation are the most important things. Also with the government. And we must not give too much importance to the bad accusations against us coming from outside.

On 4 April 2023, Shen was installed as the Bishop of Shanghai in the Cathedral of St. Ignatius[4] without the approval of the Holy See.[5] The priests of the diocese were invited to attend without being told the name of their new bishop.[4] Pope Francis named him bishop of Shanghai on 15 July 2023.[2] Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Francis was acceding to the government's action as a pastoral gesture for the sake of the Catholics of Shanghai and despite the fact that the government's unilateral action violated the spirit of the 2018 accord between the PRC and the Holy See.[6] He said Francis hoped to "remedy the canonical irregularity created in Shanghai, in view of the greater good of the diocese and the fruitful exercise of the bishop’s pastoral ministry".[7]

Since 2022, he has been president of the College of Chinese Catholic Bishops, a government-sanctioned religious group created by the State Administration for Religious Affairs of the PRC.[8]

His immediate predecessor in Shanghai, Matthew Yu Chengcai, was not recognized by the Holy See.[9][3]

References
  1. Shen, Joseph (2 October 2017). "Shen Bin: in China nobody wants a Church separated from the Pope". La Stampa (Interview). Interviewed by Gianni Valente. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  2. "Resignations and Appointments, 15.07.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  3. Bishop Joseph Bin Shen biography, Union of Catholic Asian News, archived from the original on 18 October 2017, retrieved 17 October 2017
  4. "China installs new bishop in Shanghai, despite local opposition". The Pillar. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  5. "No statement from the Vatican after Shanghai gets a new bishop". AsiaNews. Roman Catholic Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  6. Winfield, Nicole (17 July 2023). "Pope recognizes China's unilateral appointment of Shanghai bishop, three months after the fact". National Catholic Reporter. Associated Press. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  7. Hudson, Patrick (18 July 2023). "Vatican confirms Shanghai bishop to sustain 'spirit of dialogue'". The Tablet. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  8. Teague, Ellen; Roberts, James (9 October 2017). "Chinese Patriotic Association bishop hopes for reconciliation with 'underground' Church". The Tablet. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  9. Wang Rui-Zhen Yuan (21 April 2010). "New, Vatican-approved Episcopal ordination in Jiangsu". AsiaNews. Roman Catholic Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.
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