Approval of bishops 'a priority'

Half of dioceses lack spiritual leader, top Catholic official says

BEIJING - A total of 11 dioceses are awaiting approval of their elected spiritual leaders amid efforts by Chinese Catholics to fill a vacuum of bishops in almost half of the Chinese dioceses, a leading bishop said.

Bishop John Fang Xingyao, chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), said that 44 out of 97 Catholic dioceses on the Chinese mainland currently do not have a bishop, which has hindered the spreading of the Gospel for the estimated 6 million believers in China.