Pope Leo XIV appoints Ignatius Ding Zuyao as Bishop of Haimen

Pope Leo XIV appointed Ignatius Ding Zuyao as the bishop of Haimen, China, on August 24, 2026. His episcopal ordination took place at the cathedral of Nantong in Jiangsu province.

Giuseppe Shen Bin, the bishop of Shanghai and former bishop of Haimen, served as the principal consecrator. He was joined by Juan Wang Renlei, Ignacio Wu Jianlin, José Xu Honggen, and Francisco Lu Xinping. Approximately 400 priests, religious sisters, and laypeople attended the ceremony.

The appointment was made under the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China regarding the nomination of bishops. This process has resulted in 19 Chinese Catholic bishops being ordained in full communion with the Pope. The Haimen see had been vacant since 2023, when Shen Bin was transferred to the Diocese of Shanghai.

Born in Qidong in August 1986, Ding Zuyao studied at the Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai before earning a degree from the Beijing Seminary. The Diocese of Haimen currently serves about 30,000 faithful through 15 parishes and 20 priests.