Posted on 02/09/2017 6:42:16 PM PST by marshmallow
Cardinal John Tong says the deal will end a 'crisis of division' between official and underground churches
China and the Vatican have reached consensus on the appointment of bishops, which will lead to the resolution of other outstanding problems, Hong Kong Cardinal John Tong has said.
“From now on, there will be no more the crisis of a division between the open and underground communities in the Church in China,” the cardinal said.
“On the contrary, these two communities will gradually move toward reconciliation and communion on the aspects of law, pastoral care and relationships. The Church in China will work together to preach the gospel of Jesus on the soil of China.”
In a letter published on Thursday, Cardinal Tong noted that China and the Vatican have different interests, so they will prioritise remaining problems differently.
“The Chinese government is concerned with problems on the political level, while for the Holy See, the problems are on the religious and pastoral levels,” he said.
The Vatican and China, which severed diplomatic ties in 1951, have had on-again, off-again talks since the 1980s. Under Pope Francis, the two restarted a formal dialogue in 2014.
The dialogue has been examined from a political perspective, but Cardinal Tong said he wanted to offer a religious perspective. He first wrote of the dialogue last August and said he received much positive feedback.
In recent years, because of government requirements, the priests, nuns and lay people of Chinese dioceses have elected their new bishops. Most of those elected have applied to the Holy See for approval.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
Let me guess, the Vatican can appoint the Bishops as long as they’re Communist Party members?
If no doctrine is touched, this could be a good thing. The problem is that Catholics (the underground Catholics) will be extremely wary (and rightfully so) and a schism of a different sort could result.
Now that there is a Marxist Pope the Chinese can be assured that any Bishops he appoints will be acceptable to them.
Patriotic Church priests report to the government what they hear in confession. At least, they used to. Now, of course, the people do not go to them for confession. Of course, confession is no longer needed, now that we have a pope who has discovered Mercy.
The Chinese Communist Party would not agree to any process that they don’t control.
“Of course, confession is no longer needed, now that we have a pope who has discovered Mercy.”
Oh, just stop. If you want to criticize Pope Francis, there’s plenty of things he’s said and done to choose from. But don’t invent something that never happened. Pope Francis, himself, goes to confession: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKHKmEtpWao
And he encourages others to go as well:
“Some say, ‘I confess only to God.’ Yes, you can say, ‘God forgive me,’ but our sins are also against our brothers and sisters, against the church,” he said at a general audience in February 2014. “This is why it is necessary to ask forgiveness from our brothers and sisters and from the church in the person of the priest.” http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/get-thee-to-a-confessional-pope-goes-and-wants-you-to-as-well.cfm
“The Chinese Communist Party would not agree to any process that they don’t control.”
No, the handover process for Hong Kong shows the Chinese are a little more sophisticated than that. They got Hong Kong, but they are abiding (not perfectly) by their agreement to a two system existence. The very fact that this is going to be a gradual process shows the Chinese are not going to have complete control over it.
He said, reading from a script.
Sorry. He’s not a Catholic.
Bing for: Emma Bonino pope francis
Is Francis turning over the Church in China to the Communists?
The Church under Francis is heading for the condition of the Church of England- all clergy and no parishioners.
Relying on one’s own feelings as to what is
“getting right with God” leads to the trivialization of Confession.
Perhaps not right away but the nibbling around the edges with an occasional real bite is the future of any “reconciliation” between the C Communist Church and the Catholic Church in China. The Church’s practices and homilies will be hemmed in lightly at first and continually more and more until everything must be approved by a commisar beforehand.
“Relying on one’s own feelings as to what is
“getting right with God” leads to the trivialization of Confession.”
True enough, but who is really claiming that? And how often would we be motivated toward any confession of sins without feelings? Conviction, compunction and contrition are not mere feelings, but are they even possible without feelings?
“The Church’s practices and homilies will be hemmed in lightly at first and continually more and more until everything must be approved by a commisar beforehand.”
That would be my assumption too. But it’s an assumption. And I would bet on the chances of the communist party in relation to the power of the Holy Spirit.
That is what is coming from the Pope. One determines one’s own status re sin. It seems a very Protestant position.And now he is “exploring” woman priests and normalization the perversions.
“And now he is “exploring” woman priests and normalization the perversions.”
No. Deaconesses are not priests. Seriously, if you’re going to attack the man at least get your facts right. It isn’t hard.
Just wait and watch. This is going toward the whole Episcopalian thing. This guy is Pope Hussein Obama. He intends to do to the Church what Barak Hussein attempted to do to the USA.
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