Chinese bishop under house arrest for refusing to concelebrate with government-appointed bishop
April 08, 2010
A Chinese bishop is under house arrest because he objected to concelebrating Mass with an excommunicated prelate.
Bishop Matthias Du Jiang of Bameng, in Mongolia, has been serving the underground Church for 6 years after his episcopal consecration-- which was done in secret, without approval from the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association. He was finally recognized by the government, with installation services today. But he was promptly placed under house arrest because he balked at officials' order to concelebrate the Eucharistic liturgy with Bishop Joseph Ma Yinglin. Bishop Ma Yinglin was excommunicated in 2006 when he participated in an episcopal ordination ceremony without Vatican approval.
Bishop Du was compelled to go through with the ceremony, but announced to the congregation that he was concelebrating against his will. He was quickly restricted to his residence.
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Posted by: -
Apr. 08, 2010 6:40 PM ET USA
If we are prone to the occasional doubts about our faith and our Church, then we should ask ourselves why this vast Communist dictatorship that today wields so much power over its people and indirectly over the entire world, could even begin to care what a pathetically tiny body of Catholics and a handful of benign bishops are doing and saying. Those heroic Chinese bishops continue to suffer so that we may be confirmed in our faith.
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Posted by: -
Apr. 08, 2010 5:35 PM ET USA
God Bless Bishop Du Jiang and may he raise up ever more fearless bishops for His Church in China and the entire world. That's what we lack in so many diocese, fearless bishops who will proclaim the truth and act against ciminals and dissenters without hesitation or shillyshallying. Lord, make all our bishops be bishops!
