by Zhen Yuan

The prelate, 89, has spent decades of his life re-education camps and restrictions because of his Catholic faith. His funeral will be held on 20 February in Guiyang, in Guizhou Province.

Guiyang (AsiaNews) – This morning, Msgr. Augustine Hu Daguo, underground bishop of the Diocese of Shiquian (Guizhou Province) passed away. He was 89 years and had spent decades in the camps and restrictions because of his faith. His funeral will be held on 20 February in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou.

An underground Catholic from Shiqian, told AsiaNews that the bishop was a "good shepherd" and praised his faith and his loyalty to the Catholic Church. According to the Catholic, some priests of the diocese of Shiquian were deeply affected by the battle that Msgr. Hu led to bear witness to Christ throughout his life.

Born into a Catholic family in the city of Tongzhou (Guizhou), in 1936 Msgr. Hu entered the minor seminary of Guiyang diocese. In 1939 he entered the major seminary. On 29 June 1951, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Guiyang. Here he began to teach in the seminary and was appointed assistant parish priest. In 1955, he was arrested by Chinese authorities who accused him of having committed counter-revolutionary crimes. As a result, he was sentenced to re-education in labour camps because of his Catholic faith. In 1982, he was released and began teaching in the seminary of Chengdu, but after some years was removed by the authorities because of his loyalty to the pope. In 1987, he was clandestinely ordained by Bishop Peter Joseph Fan Xueyan of Baoding.

• China
• underground
• Shiqian
• church
• bishop
• Hu
• Daguo
• death
• communion
• pope