On January 23, 2025, Thursday, Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui officially took canonical possession of the diocese of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China, following his appointment by the Holy Father. The Vatican disclosed that Pope Francis had sanctioned the transfer of Bishop Cai from the Diocese of Xiamen to the Diocese of Fuzhou. His appointment received approval on January 15, 2025, as part of the Provisional Agreement established between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, which was initially signed in September 2018. In October 2024, the Vatican renewed this Provisional Agreement for an additional four years, ensuring its validity until at least 2028.
Bishop Cai was consecrated as the bishop of Xiamen in 2010, with both papal and governmental endorsement, after having served as the diocesan administrator since 1996. Raised in a Catholic family, he was ordained a priest in 1992. Recently, the Vatican announced the establishment of a new diocese in China, appointing Father Anthony Ji Weizhong as its inaugural bishop. Last October, Pope Francis made the decision to dissolve the Diocese of Fenyang, which had been established in 1946 by Pope Pius XII, while simultaneously creating the new Diocese of Lüliang.