The planned ordination of a new Vatican-approved bishop in the Chinese diocese of Yibin could be “encouraging” for Chinese Catholics, provided that no bishop ordained without Rome’s approval will attend the ceremony, a Vatican spokesman said yesterday.

Fr Federico Lombardi told reporters that the forthcoming ordination of Fr Peter Luo Xuegang as coadjutor bishop of Yibin in Sichuan, would take place tomorrow.

He said the ordination was “approved by the Holy See” and hoped “no illegitimate bishop will participate in the ceremony.”

Fr Paul Lei Shiyin, who was ordained without a papal mandate in June as bishop of Leshan and subsequently excommunicated by the Holy See, has said he plans to attend the ceremony.

“I have seen this story in the media,” said Fr Lombardi. “If the ordination were to take place, [Fr Luo] would be a candidate approved by the Holy See.”

He added, however, that the ceremony must respect “the laws of the Catholic Church; that is, that the faithful are informed of the Holy See’s approval of the candidate, and that no illegitimate bishop will participate at the ceremony.”

Only then, Fr Lombardi said, “would the event be encouraging for the Catholic community.”