Chen Xilu
Mathias Chen Xilu (1928 – January 16, 2008) was a Chinese Roman Catholic bishop of Hengshui, Hebei. He had been appointed to his post by the Vatican, and had been recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China.[1]
Life
Chen Xilu was born into a Catholic family in 1928.[1] He initially enrolled at a minor Catholic seminary at the age of 15 before entering a larger seminary in Shanghai in 1950.[1] He was ordained a priest in 1955 after which he worked as a doctor in a clinic in Jing county, Hebei province.[1]
Chen was arrested for his religious beliefs in 1958.[1] He was sent to a hard labor camp from 1969 until 1979.[1] He returned to Hengshui diocese in 1979 following his release.
He succeeded Bishop Petrus Fan Wenxing in 1996. The diocese consists of approximately 20,000 Roman Catholics.[1] Chen fell into a coma due to a brain hemorrhage in 2002 and died on January 16, 2008, of organ failure in Jing county, Hebei.[1] He was succeeded by Bishop Peter Feng Xinmao.[1]