Michael Fu Tieshan

Who was Michael Fu Tieshan?

Bishop Michael Fu Tieshan of Beijing was the top leader of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

Fu was born in Hebei province. He served as a priest, and in 1979 was made a bishop by Beijing. The appointment lacked the approval of the pope. He was appointed chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in 1998. He was acting president of the government-recognized Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China. He was named vice chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, China's legislature, in 2003.

Fu died in Beijing Hospital from lung cancer. His death was announced in Beijing by the Xinhua news agency.

Anthony Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Patriotic Association, told UCA News, an Asian church news agency, that Fu wanted to "see his priests, whom he hasn't met for a long time" due to his long illness.

He was succeeded by Joseph Li Shan.