People’s Daily Online
17:33, July 09, 2010
China: Priest and nun of underground diocese of Ningxia are killed
Spero News
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
The two religious worked in a nursing home in the district of Wuda in Wuhai, a main city of Inner Mongolia. The hospice staff found their bodies around 6.30 this morning in a pool of blood. Reasons for murder and identity of assassin remain unknown.
Wuhai – Fr Joseph Shulai Zhang (pictured), vicar general of the underground diocese of Ningxia (Inner Mongolia) and Sr. Mary Wei Yanhui were stabbed and killed last night in the district of Wuda, Wuhai, Inner Mongolia. The two religious worked in a hospice for the elderly wich is housed in the residence of the local church.
Local sources said this morning, the hospice staff, not seeing them appear at daily mass of 6.30, went to their rooms, finding the bodies of Father Joseph and Sr. Mary in a pool of blood, apparently stabbed to death. The murder was reported around 7 to the police, who cordoned off the area around the church complex and tapped telephone calls. Currently the motives behind the murder and identity of the assassin remain unknown.
Local Catholics tell AsiaNews that the body of Father Zhang has 7 deep knife wounds and signs of struggle. Sister Wei was instead killed by a stab wound to the chest.
Sister Wei, a native of Inner Mongolia, was the director of the nursing home that houses about 60 elderly people. The 32 year old nun professed her vows in 2001. She lived in rooms above the hospice. Father Zhang, 55, was originally from the diocese of Xianxian (Hebei) and has been a priest since 1985. He began his service in Inner Mongolia about 20 years ago. His room was on the ground floor of the building.
The underground Church in Wuda is led by Mgr. Joseph Ma Zhongmu of Ningxia. He is the only ethnic Mongolian prelate in China and livesin the town of Chengchuan, Inner Mongolia. The official Church of Wuhai is instead under the diocese of Bameng, Inner Mongolia.
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Vicar general, nun murdered in China
CathNewsIndia.com
Published Date: July 7, 2010
The “underground” vicar general of Ningxia diocese and his co-working nun were murdered in their rooms at a Church-run home in Wuhai city, Inner Mongolia. Police suspect a local Catholic in the murders.
Father Joseph Zhang Shulai and Sister Mary Wei Yanhui, the director of the home, were found stabbed to death after they failed to appear for early morning mass on July 6.
Police sealed off the crime scene and, after door-to-door inquiries, are now looking for a Catholic layman suspected in connection with the killings, Church sources told ucanews.com.
A Catholic neighbor said he was shocked to hear the news about “the nice priest who cared so much for his parishioners.”
Father Zhang and the diocese administrator have handled local Church affairs for several years since the retirement of underground Bishop Joseph Ma Zhongmu, 92. Bishop Ma was recently hospitalized with breathing and heart complications. He has not been informed of the deaths, for fear that it may worsen his condition.
The Catholic community in Wuhai was shocked by the news. “Our numbers are small here. The incident would only make non-believers hesitate to come to the Church,” one Catholic said.
Bishop Matthias Du Jiang of Bameng, the “open” diocese that covers Wuhai, is currently in Shanghai but is staying in contact with local police.
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Police arrest Catholic monk after priest, nun murdered in N. China
People’s Daily Online
14:22, July 09, 2010
Police have arrested a Catholic monk in connection with the murders of a priest and a nun of the Chinese Catholic Church in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on July 6.
Zhang Wenping, a Catholic monk aged 43, was arrested at 3 p.m. Thursday in Hohhot. He had confessed to the crime, said a spokesman for the Wuhai city public security bureau.
Priest Zhang Shulai and nun Wei Yanhui were found dead Tuesday in a church in a home for the elderly run by Wei in Wuhai City.
The police are continuing their investigation.
Source:Xinhua
Zhang Wenping, a Catholic monk aged 43, was arrested at 3 p.m. Thursday in Hohhot. He had confessed to the crime, said a spokesman for the Wuhai city public security bureau.
Priest Zhang Shulai and nun Wei Yanhui were found dead Tuesday in a church in a home for the elderly run by Wei in Wuhai City.
Zhang Wenping said he killed the priest and nun because he has personal grudges against them.
Police said the case was an isolated criminal case.
Source: Xinhua