Posted on 10/01/2005 8:07:52 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
Beijing, Sep. 30 (AsiaNews) - The four Catholic bishops from mainland China who were named by Pope Benedict XVI to participate in the upcoming Synod of Bishops will not be allowed by their government to attend, the AsiaNews service has confirmed.
With the Synod discussions opening in Rome on Sunday, October 2, none of the four bishops has obtained a passport, AsiaNews found. One of the four, Bishop Luke Li Jingfeng of Fengxiang, conceded that there is "very little" hope he can participate in the Synod.
Bishop Joseph Wei Jingyi of Qiqihar has been asking government officials every day for a passport. But local government officials told AsiaNews that the passport would not be granted-- and even claimed that "China and the Vatican agreed" on this decision.
AsiaNews said that the main opposition to the bishops' participation in the Synod appeared to come from the Catholic Patriotic Association, the government-approved body that aims to control the Church in China, maintaining its independence from the Holy See.
Chicoms, if I said what I really think of China's rulers I would be banned
Chicom supporters, appeasers and netagandists are the wrost. And there are many who participate here at FR.
We should cease treating China as a normal trading partner. As we make China more wealthy, it only become more powerful and more arrogant.
The article is certainly incomplete. I had head that Pope Benedict had invited four bishops from the Chinese-schism church to attend a synod, effectively recognizing them. The defense of this was that Benedict hoped to unite the churches, but I was very alarmed at the news. Now, on the one hand, the CPA bishops are allowed to attend, and the loyal bishops are not, Benedict's actions would be completely an outrage.
On the other hand, if these four disallowed bishops are the four bishops I had read about, then I would infer that they were CPA bishops, but they were invited on the precondition that they accept the authority of Rome. In which case, Benedict's plan was wonderful: it either exposed the CPA to be belligerent anti-Christians, or healed a schism at least in the instance of those four bishops.
Obviously, since scenario is wrteched, and the other encouraging, I am desperate to know which one is true! (of course, this could also be another story altogether.)
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