Officials Defend Appointments of Catholic Bishops Unapproved by the Holy See

Chinese government officials attempted to defend the Catholic Patriotic Association’s (CPA) recent consecrations of registered Catholic bishops, according to Chinese press accounts. In April and May, the CPA coerced bishops to consecrate new bishops who were not approved by the Holy See. The CPA is the mass organization through which the government controls the practice of Catholicism in China by registered Catholics. Responding to the controversy over these consecrations, CPA Vice Chairman Liu Bainian denied that the Chinese government had a political motivation for the consecrations, according to a June 22 interview (in Chinese) published in Wen Wei Po of Hong Kong. Liu claimed, "We have no political purpose in our self-selection and self-ordination of bishops. Among them, many such bishops are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as well. We are very happy about it."

Some official statements have implied that the Holy See recognizes these newly consecrated bishops. According to an announcement (in Chinese) posted July 4 on the State Administration of Religious Affairs Web site, representatives of the Holy See shook hands with and congratulated registered Bishop Ma Yinglin on his consecration during an early July meeting of religious leaders in Moscow. The CPA consecrated Ma on April 30 under coercive circumstances and without the Holy See’s approval. A representative of the Diocese of Hong Kong, however, said that the handshakes were merely good manners and implied no formal recognition, according to a July 18 report in Sing Tao Jih Pao (in Chinese), a Hong Kong newspaper.

Liu Xinhong, another bishop whom the CPA consecrated under coercive circumstances and without the approval of the Holy See, was featured in two articles in the June 28 edition of Beijing Review, a government-run English-language weekly. An article entitled "Mixed Blessings" presented Liu as "spiritually" loyal to the Holy See while acknowledging he was consecrated without its approval. The article quoted Liu as saying, "I would be lying if I said I was under no spiritual pressure to assume the post without papal approval." In the other article, entitled "Celebrating Pentecost," Catholics in the Wuhu diocese, where Liu was installed as bishop of Anhui on May 2, are described as satisfied with Liu's appointment. Reports from April and May, however, suggest that many Chinese Catholics were dissatisfied with the consecrations of Ma Yinglin and Liu Xinhong.

For more information on Catholics in China, see the CECC 2005 Annual Report, Section III(d).