Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, a prominent leader of China’s underground Catholic Church, died on October 29 at age 91 of age-related illness, Church sources told UCA News. His funeral is set for October 31 in Jinzhou, northern China’s Hebei province.
According to UCA News, many Catholics respected Bishop Jia for his unwavering loyalty to the Vatican despite decades of state persecution. Born in Wuqiu Village, Jinzhou, he was first imprisoned in 1963 for refusing to renounce his allegiance to the Pope and reportedly spent about 15 years behind bars.He was ordained a priest in 1980 and, the following year, was secretly consecrated as bishop of Zhengding by the late Bishop Joseph Fan Xueyan of Baoding, another stalwart of China’s underground Church.
Throughout his ministry, he resisted pressure to join the government-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, leading to repeated arrests and close surveillance.
Church accounts said he endured torture, including being held in flooded cells that caused lasting injury. Between 2004 and 2020, authorities detained him more than 10 times, drawing international attention. Despite official restrictions, authorities demolished the orphanage Bishop Jia founded in Hebei for abandoned children in 2020. Priests described him as a faithful servant of God who “persevered until the end.”