[Stingray51]

A deal of this kind could undermine the underground Catholics in China by providing legitimacy to the state-approved church, which I suspect is what the Chinese government is after.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

That’s a legitimate concern.

Overall, though, there’s much to be excited about regarding the spread of Christianity in China. There are now more Chines Catholics than American Catholics, and there are twice as many Protestants than Catholics in China. That would mean 225 million Christians in China, or about 20% of the population. That’s a force that cannot be easily suppressed.

The Chinese may be nearing their Constantine moment.

[Slyfox]

For the commies to relent in any way is seen as a win for the True faith. It is now out in the open that the Patriotic church is not legitimate. That is huge and that is why the commies have decided to work out a deal with Rome.

Most of the Chinese seminarians have been trained in American seminaries and especially over the last decade our seminaries have become even more in line with Rome. This has affected the Chinese seminarians in a good way. They have been trained in the Truth.

Until the Chinese seminarians stood up the commies thought they that they had fooled everyone. Not so now. Let's pray that more recognition is realized.

[arthurus]

There will be no blanket legitimacy for the State Church. There are already bishops of the Catholic Church who also serve in the State Church- have been for a long time. Real Vatican sanctioned ordination is not connected to state action at all. There are sub rosa seminaries where real priests are trained and official seminarians who are sincere believers often go through these real seminaries, too. The mesh is interesting. The State tolerates it more and more hoping to get a handle on the unofficial but real Church. This is not a new thing or the Church in China.
Christianity, Catholic and Protestant, is growing rapidly in China and both groups see their task as the Christianization of Asia, especially the conversion of the Moslems.