Posted on 06/27/2026 9:12:41 AM PDT by ebb tide
Having accepted in 2025 bishops appointed unilaterally by China, Leo XIV should not threaten the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) with excommunication for similar actions, writes Rev Matthew Dimock, a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Charlotte on OnePeterFive.com on June 25.
Rev. Dimock is NOT a defender of the FSSPX.
His argument is that justice requires the Church to enforce its laws consistently, rather than making exceptions based on diplomatic or political considerations.
In late April 2025, during the period between the death of Francis and the election of a new pope, the Chinese Communist Party announced the election of two bishops, an Auxiliary Bishop of Shanghai and the Bishop of Xinxiang. Shanghai already had two bishops and one auxiliary bishop. Xinxiang already had a bishop.
Normally, the Vatican publicly announces bishops before their episcopal consecrations, but in these cases the announcements came only on the day of the consecration.
Rev. Dimock argues that this continued a pattern established under Francis, who also accepted a bishop transfer initiated unilaterally by China.
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The CCPA does not recognize the proclamation of the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Pope Pius XII in 1950, canonizations from 1949 onward (e.g. the canonization of Pope Pius X), Vatican declarations on even well-established devotional piety (e.g. on the Sacred Heart of Jesus or on Mary as Queen), and the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).
Where are the excommunications, Leo and Tucho!
That’s a good point, and the CCPA (Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association) truly falls under the Catholic definition of schism.
From copilot.com:
What the sources show
1. Legal and regulatory framework requires Catholicism to be subordinate to the Party
China’s Regulations on Religious Affairs mandate that all religions must be “independent and self-governing” and “not subject to foreign domination,” which directly targets the Vatican’s authority over the Catholic Church.
This principle is the legal foundation for the CCPA’s existence and its alignment with Party control.
2. The CCPA is structurally controlled by the Chinese Communist Party
The CCPA is run under the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the CCP, which means the Party directly oversees its operations, clergy appointments, and religious governance.
This structural subordination is explicit: the CCPA is “controlled by the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.”
3. The Party asserts “ultimate authority” over the Catholic Church
U.S. Congressional reporting notes that the CCP “continued to assert its ultimate authority over the Chinese Catholic Church,” even during periods when the Vatican could not approve bishops.
4. Sinicization policy requires Catholic doctrine and practice to conform to CCP ideology
Under Xi Jinping’s “Sinicization of religion,” Catholic teaching and worship must reflect Communist Party ideology, which functionally places the Church under Party authority.
The Chinese “Catholic” Patriotic Association is entirely bogus!
However:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Orthodox_Church
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