China

The government releases Feng Jianmei’s husband, pays the couple 11,200 dollars, again formally apologizes for the incident, confirming the dismissal of two executives and the suspension of 5 family planning officials. Victory after all the horror of forced abortion in the seventh month of pregnancy.

"The Holy Father has never interfered in the internal affairs of the [Chinese] government," said the secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. The latter "should refrain from interfering in the pastoral and spiritual fields with its unlawful appointments of bishops. It should allow the Church to function independently and freely." Freedom of religion is "important in the whole world. It is fundamental for the full development of a country and its population."

Dam on the Mekong, Vietnam War and future trade agreements on the agenda of Hillary Clinton. After Laos, U.S. Secretary of State will go to Cambodia to attend the ASEAN summit.

The government offices governing the censorship of the Internet are requiring providers operating in the country to view, prior to publication, every single vide posted by users, and to censor "violent or pornographic" content. And state television, in deference to the new rules, cancelled the lower part of the David by Michelangelo when presenting an exhibition on the Italian Renaissance.

The protest was held outside the office of the central government in Hong Kong, for the release of Msgr. Ma Daqin, auxiliary bishop of Shanghai and all Chinese Catholics. Ordained on 7 July, the prelate has been confined to the seminary of Sheshan for days for his resignation from the Patriotic Association. Beijing censors Church websites with information concerning the ordination of Msgr. Ma

The official website of the Patriotic Association and bishops council today released a statement, countersigned by "a spokesperson", accusing "the bishop's ordination activities" of "gravely" violating the regulation on episcopal ordinations. In Harbin, AsiaNews sources report "difficulties" for two priests of the official Church who opposed the ordination of July 6.

The statement was signed by the PA and the Chinese Bishops' Conference. In it, no mention of the word "excommunication" towards Fr. Fusheng, nominated bishop of Harbin without the Pope's approval. For the PA, the Vatican document does not aid the unity, communion and healthy development of the Church in China. Local sources denounce the use of presumptuous and misleading tones to deceive the Catholics of the official Church.

Once taken by Chinese police, man disappears. Aged 22 or 23, burns cover 90 per cent of his body. He called for the return of the Dalai Lama and protested against Chinese rule. This is the third self-immolation near the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Bishop Ma Daqin, by refusing the imposition of hands from an excommunicated bishop and quitting the Patriotic Association, is upholding the very religious freedom that the Chinese constitution guarantees, but that is betrayed by religious regulations. His rejection of the Patriotic Association has theological reasons (the PA is "incompatible with Catholic doctrine"), but also pastoral and social. For months, pastors are kept at a distance from their dioceses, on a tour of government sponsored banquets while their faithful have to face poverty. The "opportunist" bishops are like tasteless salt. The value of the lay faithful in reconciliation with the pope.

A statement by the Holy See recalls that before ordination the candidate had been warned that he would be going against the will of the Pope. The hope expressed that Chinese authorities are not encouraging "actions contrary to dialogue" with the Vatican.

Population control officials continued to blackmail the couple with increasing fines, to the point of deciding for an abortion. According to academics, the one-child law violates human rights also enshrined in the Chinese constitution. For businessmen, the law has to change because there is no national workforce and the population is aging. Every year in China 14 million forced abortions.

During his ordination Mass, Msgr. Thaddeus Ma Daqin resigned from the Patriotic Association. And he avoided the imposition of hands by an illegitimate bishop. The ceremony was held last July 7 in Shanghai.