The funeral of Yi-ethnic Father Lawrence Zhang Wenchang of Kunming, southwestern Yunnan province, took place yesterday morning at his home town with no “underground” priest attending.

Underground Catholics claim the government forcibly cremated Fr Zhang’s body on February 9, four days after his death, in violation of the ethnic culture of leaving the body for seven days for people to pay last tribute.

They also boycotted the funeral service as they were angry at the way the “open” Church community, headed by an illicit bishop, had scrambled to organize it, sources said.

The underground priests celebrate Masses for their former leader privately instead, sources said.

Father Joachim Yue Tiande, vicar general of Kunming’s open community, presided over the funeral with several hundred laypeople and nine open priests from Dali and Kunming dioceses and Zhaotong apostolic prefecture joining in.

The Holy See appointed Fr Zhang as apostolic administrator of the three ecclesiastical territories in 2000.

Bishop Joseph Ma Yinglin, illicit bishop of Kunming and president of the government-sanctioned Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, was absent “because of business in Beijing,” Fr Yue said today.

He explained the open community hosted the funeral to show its care and respect to the elderly priest. “I heard that some underground priests would come but they did not turn up eventually,” said the 42-year-old priest, who is also a Yi ethnic.

Fr Zhang’s ashes were interred in the courtyard of the Haiyi church after the Mass.

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