A few months after his inauguration, Bishop John Lee Juo-wang of Tainan, Taiwan has left the helm of the diocese.
Pope Francis, who accepted the resignation of the 54-year-old prelate on Saturday, appointed his predecessor, Mgr Lin Chi-nan Wood, as apostolic administrator.
The news took the diocese by surprise. Bishop Lee was ordained and installed only on 1 January. Born and raised in the community of Tainan, he was appointed on 14 November.
The local diocese covers a territory with a population of almost 2 million people, including 7,500 Catholics.
In a letter to the diocese, Bishop Lee explains his decision by saying that he had “psychological and physical problems.”
“After long prayers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I humbly accept that I have a serious health problem,” he writes, adding that he chose to resign “for the good of the diocese.”