China: ‘underground’ bishop formally cedes role to government-appointed prelate
December 14, 2018
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CWN Editor's Note: Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin has officially handed over control of the Mindong diocese to Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu, with a Vatican spokesman, Msgr. Claudio Celli, witnessing the event. Bishop Guo Xijin has never been recognized by Beijing; Bishop Zhan Silu was appointed by the government without Vatican authorization—thus incurring the penalty of excommunication. Pope Francis lifted that penalty as part of a recent agreement with the Chinese regime.
Msgr. Celli announced that another “underground” bishop, Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou, will surrender his place to a government-appointed prelate,
Bishop Giuseppe Huang Bingzhang, in a similar transfer of authority.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Dec. 14, 2018 11:00 PM ET USA
The officially-sanctioned death of the Catholic Church in China. Will increased psychological and even physical torture build on the spiritual torture suffered by "underground" Catholics because of a false eirenism imposed from the outside?
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Posted by: DanS -
Dec. 14, 2018 8:45 PM ET USA
Shameful.
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Posted by: Jim Hanink -
Dec. 14, 2018 7:20 PM ET USA
There is a mountain of evidence that the regime in China is aggressively pursuing its course of restricting religious freedom. The internment of Muslims is an egregious violation of human rights. It is, to be diplomatic, "unacceptable" that Pope Francis speaks as a defender of human rights and simultaneously acquiesces in their public violation. Insofar as the Vatican does not acknowledge what is obvious it undercuts its own moral leadership. Faith and reason, yes. Appeasement, no.
