When Cardinal Kung dies, the Vatican appointed Jesuit Joseph Fan bishop.  Also a Jesuit returned in 1951 to a China led by Mao. Like thousands of Catholics he was persecuted and imprisoned for 27 years.

When released he did accept the Communist’s government request that he return to his former duties: head of the Shanghai Seminary and then to take the title of Bishop Shanghai without Vatican approval dismayed many Catholics but approval was later was later granted by the Vatican in 2004 during the last days of Pope John Paul II.

Pope Benedict urged China to be open to Christianity, and said that he hoped the Olympic Games would offer an example of coexistence among people from different countries.

Estimates of the Catholic Population in China are as high 90 million and as low as 80 million.

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