A conference in Taipei marked the centenary of Pius XI’s historic decision in October 1926 to ordain the first six bishops born in China. This was a crucial step on a path of inculturation which, after 1949, however, had to contend with control from Beijing. The challenge of the Church’s identity in China remains as relevant as ever.
A source in China reinterprets for AsiaNews the suffering of the Catholic communities of the People's Republic in light of the words of the Prophet Isaiah heard in the liturgies of this period, from the deep wound caused today by the increasingly rigid ban on educating minors in the faith to the certainty that “God is with us, and we move forward.”
Yesterday's episcopal ordination in Henan is opening new wounds rather than healing old ones. The underground bishop whose resignation Rome accepted is still under strict surveillance, unable to attend "his" ceremony, and not even his family can see him. A priest commented: Beijing is violating “the spirit of the Agreement.” “This is not the first time” that the Church “finds herself forced into silence, humiliation”. Ultimately, she “is not sustained by power, but by faith”.
In the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang, the episcopal ordination of Bishop Li Jainlin took place this morning, the second bishop elected during the recent sede vacante. The appointment was approved by Leo XIV in accordance with the Sino-Vatican accord, following the "resignation" of underground bishop Zhang Weizhu (who was arrested several times for refusing to join official bodies). Meanwhile, in Xuchang, the faithful found their church padlocked for allowing minors to enter it.
In prison for a year along with a local shop owner, the former "official" head of a diocese in Zhejiang province has denied corruption charges, maintaining that he acted as a priest. Pressure has ben put on Catholics who wanted to be in court to support him. Some argue that his real 'fault' lies in a pilgrimage to Rome or the failure to support the nomination of a bishop imposed by the Communist Party.
Vatican News remembers the courageous, Hebei-born underground bishop, who died a few days ago at the age of 90. His funeral was carried out under restrictions imposed by the authorities in Jinzhou. As many episcopal sees lay vacant, Fr Dong reappears. Bishop Jia had designated the self-appointed bishop (without Rome's consent) as excommunicated for his disobedience.
Underground Bishop of Zhengding since 1981, he died this morning at the age of 90 in the bishop's residence where he had been confined. After he was jailed during the Cultural Revolution, he was tasked with rebuilding dioceses in several Chinese provinces. His courage cost him more stints in jail, but he was a seed of vocations among Chinese Catholics. The faithful remember him for “preserving the flame of hope in the darkest nights”.
A local Catholic offers their thoughts about yesterday's ordination of Auxiliary Bishop Wu Jianlin. The unresolved situation of Bishop Ma Daqin, who is still barred from exercising his ministry, is a source of sorrow that encourages “those members of the clergy who seek only to please the government”.
As AsiaNews reported, the ceremony for the prelate chosen by Bishop Shen Bin during the Vatican's Sede Vacante took place this morning. Leo XIV approved the appointment in August in accordance with the Agreement. Although confined to the Sheshan Seminary since 2012, the other auxiliary bishop, Ma Daqin, sent a message of unity to the Church of Shanghai via social media, quoting the great ‘patriarch’ Xu Guangqi.
Scores of members have been arrested in at least six cities in what ChinaAid calls "the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution” in the last 40 years against underground Evangelical communities. Rev Jin Mingri was also arrested. A former Tiananmen Square protester, he founded the Zion Church, reportedly numbering thousands of members. The accused were charged with illegal use of information networks just days after Xi Jinping stressed the need to “accelerate the sinicisation of religions”.
At the Urbaniana University, the academic year opened with the presentation of the proceedings of the conference marking the centennial of the Concilium Sinense of 1924. The first apostolic delegate to China, Card Celso Costantini, convened this historic event, which Pope Leo XIV described as a "milestone in the history of the Church in China”. For Card Parolin, “being good Catholics in no way contradicts loyalty to one's homeland”. The Council was a “moment of purification of missionary work and intention,” said Card Tagle.
The diocese has sent official notice for Fr Wu Jianlin’s ordination ceremony, calling on all priests and nuns to be present without exception. Ordinary Bishop Shen Bin reportedly supported the choice, stressing that Wu is a member of the Party Conference, and must be a bishop. In the case of the other auxiliary bishop, Mgr Ma Daqin, he has been unable to exercise his ministry since 2012 after he refused to be part of the Patriotic Association.
1 October marked the anniversary of the canonisation desired by John Paul II which gave rise to the most conflictual moment in relations between Beijing and the Holy See. In the context of today's dialogue with the Beijing authorities, marking the feast may be cause for embarassment for some but the Chinese Catholic community has the right to remember and honour its martyrs, just like other churches around the world.
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