Pope Francis appointed Father John Baptist Huang Min-Cheng, O.F.M., as bishop of the diocese of Tainan on May 3, 2023.
Prior to the new appointment, he was working as director of the Centre for Franciscan Spirituality in Hsinchu, provincial counsellor and parish priest of Daxi Friary, diocese of Hsinchu.
Bishop Min-Cheng was born on March 23, 1955, in Madou, diocese of Tainan. After attending the Franciscan minor seminary in Neihu district, he studied philosophy and theology in Taipei. He entered the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, and was ordained a priest on March 29, 1984, in Tainan.
After ordination, he first served in the Queen of Angels Church parish in Xinying in Tainan (1984-1992) and was provincial of the Chinese province of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao (1992-1998). He was then awarded a master’s degree in spirituality from the Pontifical “Antonianum” University in Rome (1998-2002). He went on to hold the offices of chair of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Christian Unity (2002-2012); parish priest of Baihe, Madou, Tainan; director of the Franciscan Hsientsaopo Rottgen House Centre for Franciscan Spirituality; spiritual director of the Biblical Apostolate Association; counsellor general of the Secular Order of Franciscans; and vicar general of the diocese of Tainan (2013-2019).