Luo Wenzao

The Most Reverend Luō Wénzǎo
Bishop of Nanjing
Church	Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Nanking
In office	1685 — 1691 (as bishop)
Predecessor	Most Rev. Ignace Cotolendi
Successor	Most Rev. Alessandro Ciceri
Orders
Ordination	1654
Consecration	1685 by Bishop Bernardino della Chiesa, O.F.M.
Personal details
Born	1616 Fu'an, Fujian Province, China
Died	1691-02-27
Previous post	Titular bishop of Basilinopolis

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Luo.

Luo Wenzao (alternately: Lou Wenzao, Lo Wen-Tsao, Lo Wenzao, simplified Chinese: 罗文藻; traditional Chinese: 羅文藻; pinyin: Luō Wénzǎo) (1616–1691) became the first Chinese priest in 1656 and the first Chinese Bishop in 1685. He was also known as Gregory Lopez (Spanish: Gregorio Lopez) in the Philippines.

Biography

Luo Wenzao was born in Fu'an, in the province of Fujian. In 1633 Wenzao was baptized and converted to Catholicism. After studying theology in Manila, he returned to Xiamen. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1654 and thereafter baptized over two thousand converts. In 1673, Pope Clement X made him Bishop but he refused. Then in 1679 Pope Innocent XI appointed him a second time and he was forced to accept. After his consecration in 1685, the provinces Jiangsu, Anhui, Shangdong, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan were under him. It has been argued that Christianity in China was transformed due to his presence as a missionary and pastor. He is the namesake of Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages in Taiwan.

External links

• Chinese language article on the life of Bishop Lo