Chinese Government Appoints Bishop without Holy See Approval

December 8, 2006

The state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) ordained Wang Renlei as auxiliary bishop of the Xuzhou diocese, Jiangsu province, on November 30, according to remarks by a State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) spokesperson reported in a December 3 Xinhua article (in Chinese and English). The CPA conducted the ordination without Holy See approval, drawing criticism from the Holy See for "subverting the fundamental principles of [the Holy See's] hierarchical structure," according to a December 2 statement (in Italian) on the Vatican Web site.

The state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) ordained Wang Renlei as auxiliary bishop of the Xuzhou diocese, Jiangsu province, on November 30, according to remarks by a State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) spokesperson reported in a December 3 Xinhua article (in Chinese and English). The CPA conducted the ordination without Holy See approval, drawing criticism from the Holy See for "subverting the fundamental principles of [the Holy See's] hierarchical structure," according to a December 2 statement (in Italian) on the Vatican Web site. According to the SARA spokesperson, Wang's October 21 nomination to the post by clergy and religious followers adhered to "Catholic tradition and rules of the Chinese Catholic Bishop's Conference." The spokesperson said the CPA notified the Holy See in advance of Wang's nomination, and criticized the Holy See for opposing the ordination.

Wang's ordination follows the CPA's April and May ordinations of other bishops who also lacked Holy See approval. The spring ordinations marked a shift in recent CPA practice of accepting the Holy See's discreet involvement in the selection process. Although the CPA does not officially recognize the authority of the Holy See to appoint bishops in China, in line with Chinese laws and policies that religious organizations "are not subject to any foreign domination" (see, e.g., Article 36 of the Constitution ), in recent years the CPA had ordained bishops who had Holy See approval. China has no diplomatic relations with the Holy See, but the SARA spokesperson cited in the Xinhua article said that China remains ready to improve Sino-Holy See relations and hopes to carry out "constructive dialogue" on issues including the ordination of bishops.

Authorities reportedly detained two bishops on November 29 in connection with Wang's ordination, according to a November 29 article from AsiaNews. Officials transported the two bishops from Hebei province to Xuzhou to compel their participation in Wang's ordination ceremony, though one bishop escaped into hiding, according to a November 30 AsiaNews article.

For more information, see "Religious Freedom for China's Catholics and China-Holy See Relations" in Section V(d), "Freedom of Religion," in the CECC 2006 Annual Report.