Appointed coadjutor of Pingliang (China) on January 11, 2021, Anthony Li Hui was ordained a bishop on July 28, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. He is the "fifth Chinese bishop appointed and ordained under the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops in China," he explained.
The 49-year-old prelate's ordination liturgy took place in Pingliang Cathedral and was presided over by Bishop Joseph Ma Yinglin, Bishop of Kunming and President of the Chinese Bishops' Conference.
According to UCA News, representatives of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association were present.
Born in 1972 in Shaanxi province, Bishop Li studied at the Beijing National Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1996.
In September 2018, the Vatican and China signed an agreement on the appointment of bishops, which was renewed last October. Details of the deal have not been disclosed. The new bishops are elected by the local episcopate from candidates endorsed by the Chinese authorities and subsequently approved by Pope Francis.
