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Cardinal Zen: Rome Has ‘Sold Off the Chinese Church’ Chinese Catholics highly mobilized in Hong Kong HONG KONG (ChurchMilitant.com) - Cardinal Joseph Zen is again criticizing the Vatican for its silence with regard to the plight of Chinese Catholics. In a recent interview with La Vie, the Hong Kong prelate spoke about the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong and the Vatican's response. "Not a word has come out of the Holy See since the beginning of this mobilization," said Zen. "Rome no longer dares to criticize the Chinese government, to which it has sold off the Chinese Church." Rome no...

Time for a sober assessment of the agreement. While it would be excessive to state that all Chinese Catholics oppose it, its application is problematic, dissident priests are persecuted, and underlying theological issues on religious liberty remains unsolved.From the Secret Text to the GuidelinesThe Vatican-China deal of 2018 was signed one year ago, on September 22, 2018. Its text remains secret to this date. We have been occasionally criticized for our reserved attitude about the agreement. Bitter Winter did not share the enthusiasm of some Vatican media, nor did it join the abrasive criticism of those who believe that Pope...

[Catholic Caucus] The Catholic Church in China: R.I.P. While a commentator as sober as Philip Lawler has rightly expressed his belief, now shared by millions of Catholics, that “the current Pope’s leadership has become a danger to the faith” and that “I’m afraid of Pope Francis,” the danger and fear over this pontificate are being fully realized in China under the ruinous, still-secret accord Francis and the wizards of Vatican diplomacy have negotiated with the butchers of Beijing.As Sandro Magister observes in his latest column on Francis’ disgraceful sellout of the Underground Church in China: “Silence on everything that could...

[Catholic Caucus]Hero Cardinal: "I continue to speak because there are not enough voices" Hero Cardinal: "I continue to speak because there are not enough voices" The Hong Kong Catholics are divided regarding the local protests, Cardinal Joseph Zen told LaVie.fr on September 17. According…More Hero Cardinal: "I continue to speak because there are not enough voices" The Hong Kong Catholics are divided regarding the local protests, Cardinal Joseph Zen told LaVie.fr on September 17. According to Zen, the six officially recognized religions are organized into institutions manipulated by the Communist Party. In other words: The situation in Hong Kong is...

On Hong Kong the Pope Is Silent. Obedient to Beijing Silence on everything that could irritate the Beijing authorities is certainly one of the many prices that the Holy See has agreed to pay, to keep from breaking up the fragile accord on the appointment of bishops that it sealed on September 22 2018 with China.It is a silence to which the first to submit is Pope Francis, usually extremely talkative about everyone and everything, but who on the popular protests that have been raging in Hong Kong for three months has not said word one.And yet from the beginning...

[Catholic Caucus] China and Vietnam. Two Accords Bought At a High Price During the same span of late August twin news stories came out concerning relations between the Holy See and two crucial states of southeast Asia, China and Vietnam.In China there was on August 26 the first episcopal ordination made on the basis of the accord stipulated with Beijing on September 22 2018: that of Anthony Yao Shun, ordinary of the diocese of Ji Ning, in Inner Mongolia.And on August 28 this was followed by a second ordination: that of Stephen Xu Hongwei, bishop of Hanzhong, in the region...

Yore: Pope Francis Goes Silent on Hong Kong Protests as Christians Take Major Role “One who mounts a tiger can never get off.” ~ Chinese Proverb“Hagan Lío.” “Take to the streets.” “Make a Mess.”Pope Francis famously bellowed “Hagan Lio” to the 300,000 young Catholics gathered at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro on July 26, 2013, urging them to shake up the complacency of their lives.Sounding more like the socialist community organizer Saul Alinsky than the Vicar of Christ, Francis prodded young Catholics to take to the streets and shake up the establishment. He challenged that the young people,...

Chinese Government Continues Takeover of Catholic Church in China A Chinese Christian refugee talks about the 'Great Red Dragon' ROME (ChurchMilitant.com) - Religious persecution in China continues to escalate as the Chinese government holds socialist training programs for Catholic clergy and summer camps are forced to close. AsiaNews, the official press agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, published a first-hand report Wednesday on a training program for Chinese priests and religious officials held by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  The training program took place from July 21 to July 27 in Beijing for 30 Catholic priests registered with the...

Washington, DC — The American Firearms Coalition has just released an online poll of more than 20,000 gun owners conducted over the last 18 hours indicating that 65% of gun owners say they will not vote for President Trump if he signs “Red Flag Gun Confiscation” into law.

Exclusive Interview: Cdl. Joseph Zen Embattled Hong Kong cardinal: 'We have to defend ourselves' Christian persecution in Communist China has been on the rise as the People's Republic of China (PRC) has become increasingly antithetical to religious liberty.  The Vatican-China agreement reached in September 2018 has intensified the PRC's animosity toward the underground Catholic Church in China and left a wake of confusion for faithful Catholics in China and abroad.  Recent guidelines from the Holy See regarding Catholic clergy registering with the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party, has fueled confusion on top of confusion....

‘The Death of the True Faith’ in China Cdl. Zen's latest dubia on the Holy See's guidelines for Chinese clergy HONG KONG (ChurchMilitant.com) - Cardinal Joseph Zen has highlighted serious problems with the Holy See's new pastoral guidelines for clergy registration in Communist China. Having recently met with Pope Francis, Cdl. Zen updated his website on Monday with the full text of his dubia on the Holy See's new guidelines concerning the civil registration of the clergy in China. Zen summarizes his dubia: This document has radically turned upside what is normal and what is abnormal, what is rightful and what is pitiable. Those who...

[Catholic Caucus] "Dubia" by Card Zen on the pastoral guidelines of the Holy See concerning the civil registration of the clergy in China Hong Kong’s bishop emeritus contributes to the debate over the new guidelines made public by the Holy See. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – In paragraphs 1 and 2 the document explains the problem and the general solution. 1. The problem is that the government has reneged on its promises to respect Catholic doctrine. In the civil registration of the clergy, it almost always requires the clergy to accept the principle of self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation of the Church...

[Catholic Caucus] China Violates the Accord. A Bishop Rebels There is important news in the “Guidelines” that the Holy See gave on June 28 to the Chinese bishops and priests on the obligation to sign a record of civil registration, “on pain of inability to function pastorally.”The news lifts the veil on a key point of the “Provisional accord,” still secret, on the appointment of bishops, signed by the Holy See and Beijing last September 22.We now know in fact from the “Guidelines” that in this accord communist China has for the first time “recognised the particular role of...

Holy See Urges Chinese Priests to Register With Communist Gov’t Concerns that Beijing will use new guidelines as a bludgeon for underground Church VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - The Holy See issued guidelines on Friday to priests in China that are causing confusion to the underground Church. The guidelines sought to walk the tightrope of urging clergy toward "obligatory" registration with the Chinese Communist Party while respecting Catholic doctrine. The "Note of the Holy See on the Pastoral Orientations for Bishops and Priests in the People's Republic of China," the official name for the guidelines, was framed as a response to questions from...

A document released by the Fujian authorities requires parish priests and religious personnel to ban minors from church and education; to refuse relations with foreign Catholics; to curb any momentum of evangelization. Meanwhile, the "Global Times" celebrates the Vatican Museums Exhibition and some lectures on "Pope Francis" and "friendship" between China and the Vatican. For Beijing, agreements with the Holy See go hand in hand with the suffocation of the Church.Rome (AsiaNews) - While enthusiastic news is spreading about the "first ever" Vatican Museums exhibition in Beijing (until July 7), or on the "first ever" University of Beijing conference on...

Cardinal Zen: New Vatican Guidelines Allow Joining Another Church Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen has published the following three comments on the Holy See's June 28 Pastoral Guidelines Concerning the Civil Registration of Clergy in China (OldYosef.hkdavc.com, June 29): 1. Holy See? Which department? Who has signed the document?Nobody? It looks so strange! 2. Guidelines (clear and simple): it is allowed to join the Patriotic Association!The Holy See does not intend to force anyone’s conscience (=tolerated minority?) 3. The Provisional Agreement recognizes the Pope as Head of the Catholic Church, so “logically” the Holy See understands and interprets the “independence”...

Bishop Guo Xijin of Mindong: I am a man and not a monkey who favors all the wishes of others     Mindong (AsiaNews) - "I am a man and not a monkey": thus Msgr. Vincenzo Guo Xijin justifies his decision not to participate in the dedication ceremony of the new cathedral in Mindong, after the government prohibited him today from presiding over a mass for the religious professions of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. In recent weeks, Msgr. Vincenzo Guo Xijin, withdrew his request for recognition in order not to submit to the bodies that support the "independence" of...

[Catholic Caucus] New Guidelines: Vatican Encourages Clergy To Register With Regime Church The Vatican has issued June 28 guidelines about the civil registration of Catholic clergy in China. The registration is compulsory according to Chinese law and includes the acceptance of the independence, autonomy and self-administration of the Communist regime church. The guidelines pays lip service to not forcing anyone’s conscience and admits that Catholics suffer "intimidatory pressures" in China. But then it goes own encouraging the registration with the following [wrong] arguments, - that China’s Constitution formally guarantees religious freedom,- that the regime church's independence is not meant in...

[Catholic Caucus] China Is Persecuting the “Underground” Bishops Even After Death. Vatican Uneasy As is known, in order to sign the September 22 2018 secret accord with China on the appointment of bishops, Pope Francis had to pardon eight bishops previously installed without the approval of Rome, who had thereby incurred excommunication.One of these had died two years before, but the government of Beijing demanded and obtained this anomalous posthumous amnesty as well.In exchange, however, Francis did not obtain the corresponding recognition, on the part of China, of the so-called “underground” bishops, consecrated by Rome without the government’s agreement.One of...

[Catholic Caucus] Faithful Chinese bishop died under house arrest, denied a Catholic burial TIANJIN, China, June 13, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) ― A heroic bishop of the underground Catholic Church in China has died under house arrest and will not be permitted a Catholic burial. Asia News reported that Bishop Stefano Li Side, the legitimate ordinary of Tianjin, died June 8 after a long illness. He was 92 and had been living under house arrest since 1992. Because Li never joined the schismatic so-called Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-backed religious authorities will not permit his body to be buried in a...