More than 20,000 Catholics from both the government-approved and “underground” Church communities bade farewell to Chinese Bishop James Lin Xili of Wenzhou at his October 10 funeral. Bishop Lin, who had been clandestinely ordained as the first bishop of Wenzhou, died on Oct. 4. at Qiliang church in Yueqing after a long illness, UCA News reports. He was 91.
The late prelate was held in high regard by both communities for his tireless work in the diocese.
Following his death, Wenzhou diocese’s open and underground Church communities celebrated separate requiem Masses from Oct. 5-10 at Qiliang church.
On Oct. 10, both open and underground Catholics joined together in the five-kilometer-long funeral procession and the internment of his ashes at the Catholic cemetery on Panyang Hill.
The diocese estimated more than 20,000 Catholics attended the Oct. 10 funeral at the small Qiliang church, managed by the open Church community. Government officials, however, put the figure at between 5,000 and 8,000.
About 1,000 uniform and plainclothes police were stationed outside the church while the liturgy was in process, but otherwise did not intervene.
Diocesan sources told UCA news that the Wenzhou underground Catholics were able to conduct their funeral Mass on Oct. 9 with “the greatest freedom and largest number of attendees ever.”
This was in sharp contrast to the funerals of other underground bishops in recent years that were held under strict government surveillance, they said.
The local government had designated Bishop Lin’s funeral to be held at the Qiligang Church, which is managed by the open Church community and accommodates only 200 people.
Except for a few sick, elderly priests, most of the 19 open priests and 18 underground clergy of Wenzhou diocese attended the funeral Masses.
The sources also said local government officials forbade the use of the term zhujiao (bishop) on banners and wreaths, but a compromise was reached with the use of “Lin mu” (shepherd Lin).
However, officials allowed the verbal use of “Lin zhujiao” during funeral Masses and other memorial services.
Authorities did not allow Bishop Lin’s body to be clothed in bishop’s garb, but his family members placed the zucchetto or bishop’s skullcap on his head just before the cremation, sources said.
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