Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding was released on the morning of July 7 after 15 months in detention.

The "underground" prelate held an evening Mass for his flock immediately on his return to Christ the King Cathedral in Wuqiu village, near Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province.

He also made a point of stating that he had not accepted the Catholic Association, nor the authority of the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, which are government approved Church bodies.

In a press release issued by the Cardinal Kung Foundation, he emphasized that “he was and always would be firmly adhered to the leadership of the Holy Father.”

Bishop Jia was removed by government officials on March 30, 2009, the day the Vatican’s China Commission began its plenary meeting in Rome. The Commission voiced its concern for the prominent bishop in a communiqué afterwards.

Throughout his detention, his family had campaigned vigorously for his release.

Two other Hebei underground prelates – Bishops James Su Zhemin of Baoding and Cosmas Shi Enxiang of Yixian – have been held in detention since 1997 and 2001 respectively. Their whereabouts have been unknown for years.

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