China will not budge on appointment of bishops without Vatican approval, AsiaNews director writes
March 17, 2015
China will not compromise with the Vatican regarding the appointment of new bishops, writes Father Bernardo Cervellera of the AsiaNews service.
Last week, after the director of the Vatican press office said that the Holy See was hoping to reach agreement with Beijing regarding the appointment of bishops, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry replied that the Vatican must “face up to the historical tradition and reality of Catholics in China.” That sentence indicated that the Beijing regime will not back away from its insistence that Chinese bishops must be appointed by China.
Father Cervellera observes that the Chinese foreign ministry has conveyed its tough message in extremely polite—even flowery—terms, perhaps reflecting Beijing’s “increasing embarrassment” at its failure to respond positively to a series of gestures from Rome.
However, despite the attractive language and the insistence on mutual respect, China continues to demand that the Vatican accept the ordination of bishops chosen by the government-backed Patriotic Association, and remain silent about the “underground” bishops who have been imprisoned.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Nothing to toast between China and the Vatican: Beijing wants complete control (AsiaNews)
- China cool to Vatican proposal for compromise on selection of bishops (CWN, 3/13)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
