Pope Leo XIV appoints Andrew Ding Yang Archbishop of Chongqing

Pope Leo XIV appointed Andrew Ding Yang as Archbishop of Chongqing, and he was ordained during a Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on Tuesday, September 8. The Holy See Press Office stated that the Pope approved his candidacy on July 18, 2026, under the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China regarding the appointment of Chinese bishops.

Joseph Li Shan, Archbishop of Beijing, served as the principal consecrator for the ordination. He was joined by co-consecrators He Zeqing, Bishop of Wanzhou, and Luo Xuegang, Bishop of Yibin. This appointment brings the total number of Chinese Catholic bishops ordained in full communion with the Pope under the framework of the provisional agreement to 18. The agreement was originally signed in 2018 and has undergone several renewals and extensions.