Ma Yanen is the new auxiliary bishop of Zhangjiakou, while Cui Tai is finally recognised (upon his forced retirement)

Two ceremonies were held today in Hebei’s “new” diocese established by Leo XIV, in which the authorities officially recognised two underground bishops. For the Holy See, this is “an important step in the journey of communion”, but Beijing is falsely attributing statements to them that pander to the usual claims about patriotism and the independence of the Church in China, sowing discord among the faithful in the communities that the move is supposed to unite.

Milan (AsiaNews) – Mgr Joseph Ma Yanen, 65, until now the underground bishop of Xiwanzi, has been recognised by Chinese authorities as the auxiliary bishop of the "new" Diocese of Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province.

Two days ago, pursuant to the Agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See, Mgr Joseph Wang Zhengui was ordained bishop of Zhangjiakou; he was the "official" clergyman who had been the de facto head of the local Church for some time, according to the Chinese government.

Meanwhile, Mgr Augustine Cui Tai, 75, was also officially recognised today by Chinese authorities in his episcopal dignity, but only by virtue of the appointment of Mgr Wang Zenghui. Until today he had served as bishop of Xuanhua, the other episcopal see suppressed by Pope Leo XIV to make way for the Diocese of Zhangjiakou. With his repeated arrests over the years, he had come to symbolise the suffering of underground communities. For  the Vatican, he is now the bishop emeritus.

With today’s ceremonies, the redrawing of episcopal sees and the redistribution of prerogatives in the northwestern part of Hebei Province were completed, which AsiaNews had reported earlier this week.

The organisations of the local official Catholic community announced the two ceremonies held this morning, accompanying them with pictures of the two prelates in episcopal robes.

Reporting events, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said that he learnt “with satisfaction" of the recognition two of the two prelates by the civil authorities. This, he writes, represents “a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese Authorities,” and constitutes “an important step in the journey of communion of the new Diocese.”

The appointment of Mgr Joseph Ma Yanen as auxiliary bishop of Zhangjiakou also appeared in today's bulletin from the Holy See Press Office, along with his profile. Born in Baoding on 15 January 1960, he was ordained in 1985 for the Apostolic Prefecture of Yixian, and served as bishop of Xiwanzi, the other diocese incorporated in Zhangjiakou on 30 January 2013.

His episcopal appointment was made by Benedict XVI and had never been recognised before by Chinese authorities. The resignation of Mgr Augustine Cui Tai, who had also been appointed coadjutor bishop of Xuanhua in 2013, alongside another underground bishop who died in 2018, is implicit, since he is referred to as “Bishop Emeritus of Xuanhua”.

The Holy See's statement confirms its intention to continue on the path of Church unity in China, which the 2018 Agreement with Beijing on episcopal appointments is meant to embody after being renewed three times.

Such a path is not without its difficulties and ideological distortions, which are evident from the very manner in which today's appointments were presented in China.

The statement reporting the installation of Auxiliary Bishop Ma Yanen says that the ceremony was led, as expected, by the new bishop of Zhangjiakou, Mgr Wang Zhengui, in the presence of Fr Yang Yu, the secretary general of the Council of Catholic Bishops of China (the collegiate body not officially recognised by the Holy See), who read the “letter of approval by the Council.”

During the ceremony, Bishop Ma Yanen "solemnly swore to respect the Constitution and the laws of the country, safeguard national unity and social harmony, love the homeland and the Church, uphold the principle of the independence and self-governance of the Church, adhere to the sinicisation of Catholicism in China, and contribute to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the global promotion of the great renewal of the Chinese nation.”

After the ceremony, according to the official statement from the Catholic community of Hebei, a thanksgiving Mass was held, led by Bishop Wang Zhengui and concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Ma Yanen. The other ceremony, described as Bishop Cui's "retirement," was much more sober and was attended by just 50 people.

Using the usual style of language, the official statement claims that Bishop Cui Tai also delivered a speech in which he "emphasised the importance of upholding patriotism and love for the Church, adhering to the principles of the Church's independence and self-governance, and promoting the sinicisation of Catholicism in our country, contributing to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the global advancement of the great renewal of the Chinese nation.”

These words seem unlikely for a prelate like Bishop Cui Tai, who has since 1993 spent repeated periods in prison or in other situations where he was deprived of his freedom, precisely to prevent him from carrying out his ministry, first as a priest and then as a bishop not registered with the official bodies controlled by the Communist Party of China.

The truth is that, as always, Beijing is using Archbishop Cui Tai's obedience to the will of the Holy See to show that it has won the battle in this part of Hebei. On the strength of this narrative, some in the local underground Catholic communities are harshly attacking him and Mgr Ma Yanen, spreading memes featuring them as turtles, accusing them of lacking courage.

Sources told AsiaNews instead that Bishop Cui Tai never uttered those words of support for the autonomy of the Church in China. “He is a man of unwavering faith,” they said, noting that there was no mention of any concelebration with other bishops during his "retirement" ceremony.

• china
• hebei
• zhangjiakou
• catholic church
• agreement
• holy see
• episcopal appointments
• vatican
• cui tai
• joseph ma yanen
• joseph wang zhengui