The Chinese Catholic Bishops College (CCBC) ordained five new bishops and assistant bishops in Beijing on January 6. The five new prelates are Lu Xinping, Fang Jianping, Su Changshan, Zhan Silu, and Jin Daoyuan, for the dioceses of Nanjing,Tangshan, Baoding, Mindong, and Changzhi, respectively.

Attended by some 1,000 Catholics and prelates from around Chinaand presided over by Liu Yuanren, chairman of the CCBC, today's grand ceremony was held in Beijing's 300-year-old Xuanwumen Catholic Church.

Today's ordination of five bishops suits the needs of church development and the desire of the broad masses of Chinese Catholics, Liu said.

In the new century, he said, the Chinese church will continue to adhere to the principles of independence and patriotism.

Chinese church figures show that at present there are nearly 5 million Catholics in the country and some 5,000 Catholic churches.