“Ubi episcopus, ibi Ecclesia.”
Where the Bishop is, there is the Church
[Saint Ignatius of Antioch]
In the West we are indoctrinated with the notion that main-stream Religion should be a-political and that there should be “Separation of Church and State.” These are absolutes for Religions in China.
The Agreement
The Vatican’s 2018 deal with the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] allowed the Chinese governmental to have input into the choice of Catholic Bishops. Details of this agreement are still secret! (It is thought to be similar to the agreement with Vietnam where the Holy See selects bishops from the short list proposed by the government.) The deal was re-ratified on October 22#, curiously the concluding day of the 20th Communist Party Congress.
Vatican News, 2020:
“The goal of the Provisional Agreement, therefore, has never been merely diplomatic, much less, political, but was always genuinely pastoral. Its objective is to permit the Catholic faithful to have bishops in full communion with the Successor of Peter who are at the same time recognized by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China.”
The 2022 press release:
“The Vatican Party is committed to continuing a respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party for a productive implementation of the Accord and further development of bilateral relations, with a view to fostering the mission of the Catholic Church and the good of the Chinese people”.
The Numbers
By some estimates there are ~12 million Catholics in China in 138 dioceses and 6,000+ physical churches. These are guided by ~107 bishops/auxiliaries, ~3,200 priests. Remarkably there are 36 major seminaries with ~1,460 seminarians!
A Brief History
The Chinese Communist Party [CCP] beat the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang [KMT], in the Chinese Civil War, 1927-1949. The Catholic Church was initially allowed to operate, but then faced difficulties. All foreign missionaries were required to register with the government. Catholics were interrogated, hospitals & schools investigated and many churches forced to close. Mao Zedong even executed everyone in the Legion of Mary, because he thought it was a paramilitary unit. (Wiki)
Clergy who resisted were often imprisoned and sometimes put to death. Some Catholics chose to worship clandestinely, but even the underground Catholic bishops were harassed and imprisoned.
Part of the Church was permitted to operate publicly under the supervision of the State Administration for Religious Affairs. Worship was allowed through state-approved churches if affiliated with the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA).
The CPA did not accept the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.
Falun Gong & Uyghurs
Some religious groups, notably the Falun Gong and Muslim Uyghurs, are brutalized in China. Large numbers are ‘re-educated’ in concentration camps. There is rape, and sexual torture of both men and women. Some are executed — with illegal harvesting of organs for transplantation. (Falun Gong is a spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition, with tenets of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, with 70-100 million followers in China. Uyghur/Uighurs were about 10 million people, mostly Sunni Muslim.)
Another article?!
“Peace for our Time!”
Many oppose the deal, believing it to be a Neville Chamberlain type of appeasement. It will be a long time before we can tell either way.
Below are various opinions, in the hope that Catholics can at least discern the basis of the Vatican’s agreement with the CCP. The referenced articles give more useful background information.
CHAD PECKNOLD [Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Catholic University] commented in the Daily Signal, October 26th: “Vatican’s Renewal of Pact on Chinese Bishops: ‘Disgraceful’ or Diplomatic?” by Samantha Aschieris.
“The only thing I would say is that the Vatican has the oldest diplomatic corps in the world, and they have a long history of making concordats with governments which are, to various degrees, at odds with Catholic teaching…The goal of these concordats is always the salvation of souls, and so whatever agreements the Vatican reaches with countries, it does so according to a different calculus than nations.”
STEPHEN SCHNECK [Retired Professor, Catholic University & Biden appointee to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom] noted his opposition in the Daily Signal article above:
“I certainly understand as a Catholic that the Vatican is playing the long game here and not thinking about the immediate circumstances, but I think that these agreements have not produced any improvement in religious freedom for Catholics in China,”
MIKE LEWIS [Editor, Where Peter Is.] “Addressing false narratives about the Vatican/China deal - Where Peter Is”, October 27th. Lewis’ incisive article focuses on Ed Condon’s article in The Pillar and is scathing about opposition to the agreement:
“…the aim of the Holy See was much more straightforward. As Pope Francis put it in his message to Chinese Catholics, the agreement was made because “it was essential, before all else, to deal with the issue of the appointment of bishops.” The appointment and recognition of bishops is the entire scope of the agreement. The Vatican lacks the ability to put a stop to attacks on religious liberty in China or to prevent the Chinese government from attempting to coerce Catholics or interfere in Church affairs.”
Lewis reminds people about the abuse of several religious groups. He describes the involvement of several popes over decades including J.P.II & Benedict. He ends with the rational comment:
“The relationship between the Holy See in China is a very sensitive and complicated subject with decades of history behind it. It cannot be reduced to a mere “good guys” vs “bad guys” situation in order to attack the pope.”
ED CONDON [a practicing canon lawyer & Co-founder / Editor at The Pillar] wrote “Is the Vatican’s China ‘progress’ going backwards?” (pillarcatholic.com) October 24#. Condon’s piece has many quotations from Cardinal Parolin [Vatican Secretary of State] and he shows some of the “complexities” of dealing with China.
“…Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, argued Saturday that the deal is “essential to the daily life of the Church” in China.”
“[Parolin] added that today in China, “the pope is explicitly mentioned in the Eucharistic prayer, something which was unthinkable years ago [because of government restrictions].”
“…that “six ‘clandestine’ bishops have also succeeded in being registered, and thus have had their position made official, being recognized as bishops by public institutions….The cardinal also claimed that “there have been no more illegitimate episcopal ordinations” since the deal was signed in 2018.”
Condon claims: “…two of the most recent episcopal consecrations appeared to take place without any Vatican awareness of them.”
Zen & Coincidence
Cardinal Zen is a major critics of the deal with the Vatican. At 90 years of age, he cuts a heroic figure as he opposes the might of the CCP! (He is facing various charges.) He argues that Pope Francis and his top aides are “selling out” Chinese Catholics who have faced persecution by the Chinese government for remaining faithful to Rome.
Some may think it was pure coincidence that the Agreement was ratified on the conclusion of the 20th Communist Party Congress. The world got a serious message from General Secretary of the CCP Xi Jinping, that day — once the reporters were allowed in, the former leader Hu Jintao [2002-2012] was physically removed from the meeting — clearly on Xi’s order.
As an individual and retired Cardinal, Zen may choose to fight the CCP, but most of the 12 million Chinese Catholics just wish to live and worship in peace. They are not lambs to be sent to slaughter on the table of righteousness.
Kevin Hay
(You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinhay77)
