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An Unapproved Ordination Looms in China AsiaNews Sees Trouble Ahead
Zenit News Agency ^
| April 28, 2006
Posted on 04/29/2006 5:25:13 AM PDT by NYer
BEIJING, APRIL 28, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The government-sanctioned Patriotic Association is poised to bring about the ordination of a bishop without Vatican approval, says a Church expert on China.
Father Bernardo Cervellera, director of AsiaNews, an agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), warned today that "on Sunday, April 30, in Kunming the Patriotic Association -- and, in particular, its vice president, layman Anthony Liu Bainian -- wants at all costs to ordain a priest as bishop without the Holy See's permission."
Thus, he cautioned, the Patriotic Association, or state-sanctioned church, "is about to explode an enormous diplomatic bomb, with the danger of putting in crisis the first signs of dialogue between China and the Vatican."
In China, the government allows religious practice only with known personnel and in places registered with the Religious Affairs Bureau and under the control of the Patriotic Association. Officials see the "underground" Catholic Church as obeying the Pope directly.
Father Cervellera wrote in an article today: "On the topic of diplomatic relations, both the government as well as the Vatican wish to act without the P.A."
"This time, however, the Patriotic Association is not standing by and has decided to have Father Ma Yinglin ordained as bishop of Kunming, capital of Yunnan," reported AsiaNews.
Reluctant
Father Ma, 40, is secretary of the official Church's Council of Bishops -- a sort of episcopal conference, not recognized by the Vatican -- and holds various offices in the Patriotic Association, whose statutes include the goal of creating a national Church detached from the Holy See.
Sources in Beijing reported that Father Ma opposes his own ordination to the episcopate, "but Liu Bainian, for whom he has worked since 1999, is determined to go ahead against the wishes of the Holy See," wrote Father Cervellera.
"The Vatican has already let it be known for some time that it does not support the candidacy of Father Ma, who is too close to the power structure of the P.A. and has little pastoral experience," he stated.
The AsiaNews director said the "new ordination" will stir up "many new problems for the Church and the government of China," beginning with "the ecclesial position of the candidate, who thus finds himself in de facto breach of ecclesial communion."
He added, "Chinese Catholics reject a bishop if he is not in communion with the Vatican and do not take part in his functions, preferring to augment the ranks of the underground Church."
TOPICS: Activism; Apologetics; Catholic; Current Events; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Religion & Politics; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: benedictxvi; bishop; china; ordination; pope; vatican
1
posted on
04/29/2006 5:25:15 AM PDT
by
NYer
To: american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; ...
Not addressed in this article is precisely who would do the laying on of hands to ordain Fr. Ma, bishop. Any guesses?
2
posted on
04/29/2006 5:26:25 AM PDT
by
NYer
(Discover the beauty of the Eastern Catholic Churches - freepmail me for more information.)
To: NYer
I would have no guess on the bishop who is doing this, unless it would be one of the already state-approved, fake-Catholic ones.
3
posted on
04/29/2006 7:15:22 AM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: NYer
4
posted on
04/29/2006 7:16:34 AM PDT
by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: NYer
Not addressed in this article is precisely who would do the laying on of hands to ordain Fr. Ma, bishop. Any guesses? Maybe Hu Jintau? Or maybe this guy...General Chi Haotian.
They have a particularly strident atheist fear of religion toppling their little marxist apple-cart:
"Maybe you have now come to understand why we recently decided to further promulgate atheism. If we let theology from the West into China and empty us from the inside, if we let all Chinese people listen to God and follow God, who will obediently listen to us and follow us? If the common people don’t believe Comrade Hu Jintao is a qualified leader, question his authority, and want to monitor him, if the religious followers in our society question why we are leading God in churches, can our Party continue to rule China?"
5
posted on
04/29/2006 8:21:10 AM PDT
by
Paul Ross
(We cannot be for lawful ordinances and for an alien conspiracy at one and the same moment.-Cicero)
To: Salvation
Communism is a jealous would-be God...
6
posted on
04/29/2006 9:23:22 AM PDT
by
Paul Ross
(We cannot be for lawful ordinances and for an alien conspiracy at one and the same moment.-Cicero)
To: TigerLikesRooster; Mind-numbed Robot
7
posted on
04/29/2006 10:23:08 AM PDT
by
Paul Ross
(We cannot be for lawful ordinances and for an alien conspiracy at one and the same moment.-Cicero)
To: Paul Ross
Do you suppose the Chinese government would go so far as to bring in Cardinal Zen and insist that he perform the ordination? What if both he and Fr. Ma were to refuse to comply?
8
posted on
04/29/2006 12:38:14 PM PDT
by
NYer
(Discover the beauty of the Eastern Catholic Churches - freepmail me for more information.)
To: NYer
Do you suppose the Chinese government would go so far as to bring in Cardinal Zen and insist that he perform the ordination?It is true that these are the same people murder Christians under torture for not divulging who their home church congregants are.
How far would they go? There are no limits...unless they fear international censure and sanctions. That would be all that restrains them.
What if both he and Fr. Ma were to refuse to comply?
For sure it would be bad news for Father Ma.... but rather unlikely since he has already received their favor, he has likely manifested sufficient obeisance to the State...
9
posted on
04/29/2006 2:14:04 PM PDT
by
Paul Ross
(We cannot be for lawful ordinances and for an alien conspiracy at one and the same moment.-Cicero)
To: Paul Ross
Communism is a jealous would-be God...That is one reason they and the Islamist have so much in common. Both frequently and openly violate the tenets of Christianity so Christianity must be eliminated.
Another commonality is the need for world domination in order to stifle all dissent. Sooner or later one will have to submit to the other.
10
posted on
04/29/2006 3:25:26 PM PDT
by
Mind-numbed Robot
(Not all that needs to be done, needs to be done by the government.)
To: NYer
>>>>Not addressed in this article is precisely who would do the laying on of hands to ordain Fr. Ma, bishop. Any guesses?
This wouldn't be the first CPA bishop. They have many bishops, some of which Rome recognizes and soem it doesn't.
patent
11
posted on
04/29/2006 7:52:14 PM PDT
by
patent
(A baby is God's opinion that life should go on. Carl Sandburg)
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