Bishop consensus hints at Sino-Vatican entente

• Source: Global Times
• [00:37 May 13 2010]
• Comments

Liu Peng

Editor's Note:

China has an estimated 12 million Catholic believers, but its relations with the Vatican were poor for many years. Recent Catholic ordinations in China, however, have been approved by both the Vatican and the Chinese authorities. Does this mean any improvement on Sino-Vatican relations? Will Catholics follow the Biblical injunction to "render unto Caesar?"

Global Times (GT) reporter Li Yanjie talked with Zhuo Xinping (Zhuo), director of the Institute of Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Liu Peng (Liu), director of the Pushi Institute for Social Science, on these issues.

GT: The Financial Times recently reported that China has begun to ordain "Vatican-approved" bishops. How many such bishops have been approved by China? Can you give us a review of Sino-Vatican relations?

Zhuo: After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Vatican refused to recognize the PRC, prohibited Chinese Catholics from supporting the new government, and maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

This forced China's Catholics to begin a patriotic reform movement, cutting the political influence of Western powers but keeping religious connections.

There have been prior historical conflicts between European states and the Church over the appointment of bishops.

But the Vatican's disapproval and excommunication of bishops selected by Chinese parishes forced Chinese Catholics to turn to selecting and ordaining their own bishops.

Since reform and opening-up began in 1978, religious ties with organizations elsewhere have been renewed.

But the problem is that the Pope is both the ruler of a country, the Vatican, and the head of the Catholic Church, so the Vatican is in an unusual position.

Although the Vatican has said it can break off diplomatic ties with Taiwan, as long as Beijing builds strong relations, this hasn't been actively practiced yet. Up to now, there haven't been any breakthroughs.

China, as a sovereign state, requires that bishops appointed by the Vatican should be approved by the government, as has been the case with other religions in China historically.

But the Vatican holds the idea that the ordination of bishops is an issue of freedom of religion.

The political problem can't be solved any time soon, but we can solve the religious problem first. In fact, most of China's "self-selected, self-ordained" bishops have been recognized by the Vatican.

Since reform and opening-up began in 1978, some Chinese Catholics have announced they wouldn't support the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) and would only be loyal to the Pope. The Pope secretly ordained some bishops, who run their own "underground churches."

China attempts to persuade "underground bishops" to observe the law and to cooperate with the CPCA, and in doing so, many "underground bishops" have been recognized by the government.