Christian Martyrs by Gustave Dore

Christian Martyrs by Gustave Dore

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Reward or Punishment. How Beijing Sanctions the Bishops

From www.chiesaespressonline.it:


Reward or Punishment. How Beijing Sanctions the Bishops

Reward for those who obey the regime, punishment for those who are faithful to the pope. The bishop invited to Munich by the Community of Saint Egidio belongs to the first category. Here is a profile of him, set alongside that of a bishop who instead has been punished

by Sandro Magister



ROME, February 20, 2012 – With the consistory two days ago, the number of Chinese cardinals has risen to three. To Joseph Zen Zekiun, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, 80, and Paul Shan Kuoshi, bishop emeritus of Kaohsiung in Taiwan, 90, has been added the current bishop of Hong Kong, John Tong Hon, 72.

There is also a fourth Chinese bishop at the Vatican, Savio Hon Taifai, who is not a cardinal but occupies a post of great importance: that of secretary of the congregation for the evangelization of peoples, the dicastery that oversees the dioceses of China.

On the occasion of his appointment, the new cardinal Tong gave an interview to "Asia News," the agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions directed by Father Bernardo Cervellera.

In it, he states that in diplomatic relations between the Holy See and China, "there have been no improvements" recently, and in any case "this element is only part of the overall issue. First of all we must act on our way of life; diplomatic relations come after this."

Moreover, the new cardinal Tong reiterated that the "patriotic association" in which the Chinese authorities situate bishops and priests in order to separate them from Rome "is incompatible with Catholic doctrine and the Catholic structure."

In China, one of the most serious acts of rupture with the unity of the Church is the ordination of a new bishop designated by the regime against the will of the pope (in the photo, in Shantou on July 14, 2011).

The bishops who, although recognized by Rome, deliberately take part in these illicit ordinations incur excommunication. Some of them, however, participate in them because they are forced to do so, and Rome is indulgent towards them. If afterward they communicate to the pope a sincere request for the forgiveness of their capitulation, Benedict XVI absolves them, as confirmed last January 17 by the secretary of the congregation for the evangelization of peoples, Hon:

"In the case of the illicit episcopal ordinations of a few months ago, various official bishops were forced to participate. After this many of them asked for forgiveness from the Holy Father. And the pope granted it to them."

But not all of them have done so. One of the bishops who has not asked the pope for forgiveness after taking part in an illicit ordination and has persisted in rupture is the bishop of Nanchang, John Baptist Li Suguang.

He is the bishop whom the Community of Saint Egidio then invited with all honors to the interreligious meeting that it organized with great pomp in Munich last September.

He is the bishop who that same month gave an extensive interview to the international Catholic magazine "30 Days" in which he did not express any sign of repentance.

He is the bishop who prompted Cardinal Zen to criticize severely both the Community of Saint Egidio and "30 Days," in a fiery interview published by "Asia News" on February 7 and republished by www.chiesa.

He is the bishop who acts as the antihero of the illuminating "tale" presented below.

The "tale" was published in the December 2011 issue of the American magazine "Inside the Vatican," directed by Robert Moynihan.

The author, Gerard O'Connell, an Irishman living in Rome, is a vaticanista for the English-speaking world and an expert on the Church in Asia.

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A TALE OF TWO BISHOPS

by Gerard O’Connell



While there has been no significant public exchange between Beijing and the Vatican in recent weeks, nevertheless some things have happened behind the scenes in China’s relation with the Catholic Church in the mainland that are worth mentioning.

To begin with there is what one might call “The tale of two bishops”: the Bishop of Nanchang and the Bishop of Liaoning (Shenyang). Both are recognized by the Holy See and China but, in the period between August and September of 2011, Beijing rewarded the one and punished the other.

The Chinese authorities rewarded Bishop John Baptist Li Suguang, 46 of Nanchang by allowing him to participate at the International Prayer Meeting for Peace organized by the Sant'Egidio Community, which was held in Munich, Germany, September 11-13.

John Baptist Li Suguang was ordained bishop of Nanchang diocese on 31 October 2010 with the approval of the Holy See and of the Chinese authorities. After the ordination ceremony, as Italian journalist, Gianni Valente, recalled in his interview with him for the monthly magazine "30 Days," the new bishop publicly expressed his intention to foster reconciliation between the Catholic communities registered with the State authorities and those that distance themselves from the government’s religious policy (popularly known as “the underground Church”).

The reward appears to have been given to him, not for his commitment to build bridges between the two Catholic communities in the mainland, but rather for participating in the illegitimate ordination of Father Joseph Huang Bingzhang as bishop of Shantou on July 14, who did not have the papal mandate.

The ceremony went ahead in open defiance of the Holy See. Bishop Li Suguang participated and seems to have been rewarded for choosing to follow Beijing’s instructions, rather than Rome’s, by being allowed to attend the meeting in Munich, although he was escorted by officials from Beijing.

On the other hand, a Chinese prelate, Paul Pei Junmin, Bishop of Liaoning (Shenyang) in north-eastern China, who is also recognized by both Rome and Beijing, was punished because he refused to participate in that same illegitimate ordination in Shantou.

The 42-year-old bishop, supported by 80 priests, religious and lay people of his diocese, defied an explicit order from Beijing to preside at that ceremony. For this refusal, he was “suspended” from his posts of responsibility at the national and provincial levels in the state-recognized Catholic Church community.

Thus last August, he was first suspended from his position as vice-President of the state-sanctioned Bishops Conference of the Catholic Church in China (a body not recognized by Rome). He had been elected to that position at the National Congress of Catholic Representatives, held in Beijing, December 2010.

Indeed, his election to that role came after he had participated in the illegitimate ordination of Father Joseph Guo Jincai as bishop of Chengde, November 2010, under pressure from Beijing, and against Rome’s public opposition. This was the first illegitimate ordination since the end of 2006, and it marked the beginning of downward turn in Sino-Vatican relations.

Then last September, Bishop Pei Junmin was also suspended from his post as Head of the Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and of the Church Affairs Commission of Liaoning. He had been elected to these posts too.

It is worth recalling that Bishop Pei Junmin is also a friend of the Sant’Egidio Community, which has good relations with the Chinese authorities, and he was allowed to attend their previous International Prayer Meeting for Peace, held in Barcelona, Spain, October 2010.

These events – the reward and the punishment of bishops – reveal clearly how Beijing treats Catholic bishops in China. Cooperation with the state authorities, in defiance of Rome’s wishes, brings rewards, failure to do so entails penalties.

Earlier 2011, the Chinese authorities also punished Bishop Joseph Li Liangui of Cangzhou (Xianxian) for not attending the National Congress of Catholic Representatives in Beijing, in December 2010. They penalized him by dismissing him from his post in the Political Consultative Conference of Hebei province, as "UCA News," the main Catholic news agency in Asia, reported.

This system of rewards and punishments for Catholic bishops raises once again the whole question of religious freedom in China which, in theory, is guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution, but in practice is limited by what the authorities decide it should be. 

It is evident that any future accord between the Holy See and China would have to address not only the vexed question of the nomination of bishops, but also the fundamental question of religious freedom for the bishops. And, as the cases cited here show, the two problems are interlinked.

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The magazine from which the "tale" was taken, with kind permission:

> Inside the Vatican

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The article from www.chiesa with Cardinal Zen's criticisms of the Community of Saint Egidio and "30 Days": 

> China. Cardinal Zen Against Saint Egidio

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The interview with the new cardinal John Tong Hon on "Asia News" of February 17, 2012:

> John Tong, a new cardinal for Hong Kong and China


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All of the articles from www.chiesa on this topic:

> Focus on CHINA

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English translation by Matthew Sherry, Ballwin, Missouri, U.S.A.

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The latest three articles from www.chiesa:

19.2.2012
> "The Church does not exist for her own sake, but she has to point beyond herself, to the realms above..."
Pope's homily at mass in Vatican Basilica, with the newly-created cardinals, on the solemnity of the Chair of Saint Peter

17.2.2012
> Vatican Diary/ The ancient rite reappears in Lourdes
In the showcase diocese of the Church of France, the new bishop is a lover of tradition and a disciple of the theologian von Balthasar. He has been chosen personally by the pope, together with Cardinal Ouellet

16.2.2012
> Good News Obscured by Intrigues
Leaking of documents, conspiracies, power struggles: Vatican coverage speaks only of this. And so it does not see that in the meantime other things are happening. Not bad, but good things. Precisely the ones desired by the pope


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20.2.2012 

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