Cardinal Zen still fights for religious freedom and the Catholic Faith

We are happy to pass on, somewhat belatedly, this report from Hong Kong, where this past Sunday -- Corpus Christi Sunday -- Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-Kiun, the 93-year-old Archbishop Emeritus of the former British colony, celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass and led a Eucharistic procession at a parish church.

On X, he wrote (in both English and Chinese): "We celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a feast the Church established precisely so that the faithful might allow God to enter more deeply into their daily lives through the Holy Eucharist. 

"After celebrating the Tridentine Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Hong Kong, I led a Eucharistic procession, bringing the Holy Eucharist out of the church and through the streets of the campus."

After the Eucharastic process, the prince of the Church added this touching testimony about Our Lord Jesus Christ, providing a public witness to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Communist-ruled Hong Kong:

"Jesus is truly Emmanuel -- God with us. He so desires to be with us that He left us this marvelous Sacrament, offering Himself under the appearance of bread and wine for us to eat and drink. The food we eat becomes part of our body, but when we receive Jesus, we become His Body. 

"Sometimes we say, 'Let us not leave Jesus alone in the tabernacle.' Of course, this is a figurative way of speaking. When Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart, He said, 'This heart has loved men so much, yet is so little loved in return.' As though He needs our consolation. In truth, it is not Jesus who needs us—but He knows that we need Him. To forget Jesus is our greatest loss."

A friend of the Cardinal wrote, "The procession (along with Cardinal Zen’s decision to publicly post his involvement in it on his X account) was a public demonstration of the unwavering hope and faith of many Chinese Catholics facing the brunt of the CCP’s persecution of religion and basic civil freedoms in Hong Kong."

Lord David Alton, a Catholic, responded to Cardinal Zen’s post with a post of his own: “Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen is the outstanding religious leader of our times. refusing to abandon his people and refusing to comply with the demands of the Chinese Communist Party. He gives inspiration to all those persecuted for their beliefs."

Just so. To many Catholics both in China and the world who treasure the sacredness, reverence, and theological value of the Traditional Latin Mass, Cardinal Zen’s fortitude in defending orthodox Catholic doctrine, traditional Catholic liturgy, and standing up to anti-Christian persecutors (like the schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association), is an inspiration.

This report was abbreviated from an article by Angeline Tan, the Singapore-based correspondent of the Remnant Newspaper. Click here to view a list of Walt's many posts about the courageous Cardinal who seems destined for sainthood.

Francis silent as ChiComms put Cardinal Zen on trial

Walt is saddened, not not shocked, to report that Joseph Cardinal Zen, a longtime foe of the Chinese Communists, is the defendant in a show trial set to begin today in Hong Kong. You might think that the man who calls himself Pope Francis would spring to the defence of the retired Archbishop of Hong Kong, but you would be wrong.

The prelate is being tried alongside Margaret Ng, a prominent former legislator; scholar Hui Po-keung; Cyd Ho, a former legislator; Sze Ching-wee, secretary of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund secretary; and Denise Ho, a popular singer and gay-rights activist.

The 612 fund was set up to help pay legal costs for those arrested in the 2019-20 pro-democracy demonstrations. Prosecutors claim the fund wasn’t registered properly under Hong Kong's Societies Ordinance -- a law frequently used against triads, or secret societies. 

If convicted, the defendants could be fined about $1300. But in Cardinal Zen's case, the Communists may not be satisfied with a mere fine. The defendants were originally arrested for "collusion with foreign forces", for which they could be jailed for life!

The timing of the trial is bad for the NWR (New World Religion) forces at the Vatican, coming as it does when the Vatican Holy See's 2018 sellout to the Communists is up for renewal. Although he had retired from his position as Archbishop of Hong Kong, he was vocal in his condemnation of the deal by which Beijing's schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association took control all Catholics in China, including those in the "underground church" which remained loyal to Rome.

Further reading: "Vatican-China agreement 'terrible, terrible, terrible': Cardinal Zen", WWW 4/12/19, and "Cardinal Zen decries/Vatican defends sell-out of Chinese Catholics", WWW 3/3/20. 

Just two years ago, Cardinal Zen flew to Rome in a desperate attempt to get Pope Bergoglio to reconsider his China deal. But a pope who always seems to have time for private audiences with celebrities -- including heretics, apostates and non-believers -- refused to meet a cardinal with long firsthand experience of the persecution of Christians by the Chinese Communists.

The architect of the still-secret deal with Beijing, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro "Peter the Roman" Parolin, professed his "closeness" to his fellow prelate, but then revealed his true priorities, saying, "The most concrete hope is that initiatives such as this one will not complicate the already complex and not simple path of dialogue."

Cardinal Gerhard Müller noted that no senior Vatican official had offered an expression of solidarity or a prayer initiative for Cardinal Zen at last month's gathering of cardinals in Rome. On a return flight from Kazakhstan last Thursday, Francis suggested this is no accident. When a reporter asked about Cardinal Zen, the pope offered not a word of support, noting only that the cardinal "says what he feels" despite knowing there are "limitations".

The Pachamamma pope wouldn't even go so far as to call China "undemocratic". One wonders what it would take for the Vatican to admit that the deal with the Commies was a mistake? (Don't ever expect to hear words like "sellout" or "betrayal".)  If a show trial for a prince of the Church isn't enough, what would be? After his arrest, Cardinal Zen said, "Martyrdom is normal in our church. We may not have to do that, but we may have to bear some pain and steel ourselves for our loyalty to our faith."

Since His Church is doing nothing, let us pray that God will protect His faithful priest, and deliver all Chinese Christians from Communist oppression and persecution. 

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

VIDEOS: Persecution of Chinese Catholics worsens as Commies arrest Cardinal Zen

In one of my earliest posts on WWW, "Zen and the maintenance of the Faith - the REAL Catholic Church in China" (WWW 15/7/09), I summarized the efforts of the Freemasons and leftists in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church to hand control of the Church in China to the Communist-founded, schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI had written (or at least signed) a letter urging Chinese Catholics who remained in the "underground Church" -- loyal to Rome, not to Beijing -- to reconcile with the Commies' CPCA.  Not long before the Pope's letter appeared, the then Archbishop of Hong Kong, Joseph Zen, was elevated to the rank of cardinal, and given a special mission to "bridge the gap" between the Holy See and Beijing.

Imagine the consternation in the Vatican Secretariat of State when Cardinal Zen, rather than toeing the party line, turned out to be a tireless champion for religious freedom! He insisted that you can't be truly Catholic and truly Communist at the same time, and he exhorted Chinese Catholic leaders -- especially those of the "official" church recognized by the government -- to be more courageous in resisting compromise, and especially in rejecting the claims to authority made by the CPCA.

Two years later, in "Communist Chinese persecution of Catholic Church intensifies" (WWW 24/8/11), I reported that 1000s of Roman Catholic bishops, priests and laypeople have been arrested, imprisoned, tortured, even executed, because of their persistent refusal to join the "official" CPCA. Cardinal Zen excoriated Vatican attempts at rapprochement, saying that the imboglio confirms the lunacy of attempting to appease and co-operate with a Communist régime. 

To abandon the fight against Communism, the prelate said, is to say that the thousands of Chinese Catholics who gave up their freedom and often their lives for the sake of fidelity to the Roman Church were wrong, and that their sacrifices were for naught.

A profile of Cardinal Zen is included in the latest video from Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper. Warning to faith followers of Pope Francis: This is really strong stuff. It will make you cringe, and cringe you should!

In this video, Mr Matt condemns the virtual non-response of the Vatican to Wednesday's arrest of Cardinal Zen by the Communist authorities in the so-called Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, which has sparked outrage from clergy and politicians around the world. It is no exaggeration to say that the arrest marks a new low for a Chinese Communist régime that has already sunk to shocking levels of inhumanity, barbarity, cruelty and mendacity.

Cardinal Zen was accused of "allegedly colluding with foreign forces" for his role as a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. which  was established to offer legal, medical, psychological and emergency financial assistance to those involved in the 2019 protests against the Communist government's Extradition Law Amendment Bill, which would have allowed prisoners to be transferred to China for trial.

Cardinal Zen is 90 years old. If the Commies had run true to form, they would have let him die in jail. Fortuntely, worldwide expressions of shock and outrage forced them to release the prelate shortly after his arrest. 

In this video, Dr Taylor Marshall and John-Henry Westen, editor of LifeSite News, discuss the history of the persecution of the underground Church in China by the Chinese Communists, whom Pope Francis and his Secratary of State seem unable... or unwilling... to oppose.

   

As Mr Westen says, the Vatican, in the agreement with Communist China negotiated by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin (aka "Peter of Rome"), fed the Chinese faithful to the lions! 

For details of Cardinal Zen's denunciation of the capitulation of the mainstream Church to godless Communism, see "Vatican-China agreement 'terrible, terrible, terrible'" (WWW 4/12/19) and "Cardinal Zen decries/Vatican defends sell-out of Chinese Catholics" (WWW 3/3/20.) 

Responding to the arrest of Cardinal Zen, the Diocese of Hong Kong issued a statement later saying the diocese "is extremely concerned about the condition and safety of Cardinal Joseph Zen and we are offering our special prayers for him. We have always upheld the rule of law. We trust that in the future we will continue enjoying religious freedom in Hong Kong under the Basic Law. We urge the Hong Kong Police and the judicial authorities to handle Cardinal Zen’s case in accordance with justice, taking into consideration our concrete human situation. As Christians, it is our firm belief that: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.” (Psalm 23:1) 

Our Lady of China (中华圣母) pray for Cardinal Zen, for all Catholic Chinese, and for all who hold and teach the True Faith.

World Day of Prayer for the Catholic Church in China

Regular readers of WWW will know that Walt has been banging the gong since Day 1 about the Vatican's great sellout of the true Catholic Church in China. See "Zen and the maintenance of the Faith - the REAL Catholic Church in China", WWW 15/7/09. 

The true Catholics in China comprise in the so-called "underground church", whose clergy and people are loyal to Rome, in spite of being thrown under the bus by Benedict XVI and Francis at the instigation of a succession of leftist Secretaries of State, most recently Pietro Cardinal Parolin, aka "Peter of Rome" (q.v.).

The persecution of Catholics in China began in 1949, when the Communists took control of the country, excepting Taiwan. They immediately set up the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, a schismatic "church" which kept the outward appearance of Catholicism, but whose bishops and priests owe their allegiance to the Communist Party. Those who would not join have been harassed, persecuted, arrested, jailed and even martyred -- the Catholic martyrs of our days, up to and including today. See "China -- not a good place to be a democrat or a Catholic", WWW 15/6/14.

Until 2018 one could say that the underground church was holding its own, in spite of continual persecution, just like the early Church in the Roman Empire. But in that year, the Vatican Secretary of State's efforts "to proceed on the path of a respectful and constructive dialogue with government authorities, in order to overcome past misunderstandings" between the Holy See and Communist China resulted in the betrayal of the many 1000s of Chinese Catholics who had been imprisoned, tortured and even martyred for their Faith.

In September of 2018 the Vatican announced the signing of an agreement with the People's Republic of China giving the Communist government "a role in the appointment of new bishops." In practice that means the Commies tell Rome who the new bishops are, and Rome says, that's fine, we don't want to cause any trouble. See "Vatican bends the knee to Chinese commies in secret accord", WWW 23/9/18.

The secret deal was supposed to be reviewed in two years, to see if things were working out. Need I tell you the outcome? The deal was renewed indefinitely in spite of the fierce protests of Cardinal Zen, Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, and others. See "Cardinal Zen decries/Vatican defends sell-out of Chinese Catholics", WWW 3/3/20. 

So there we are. Rome has capitulated and the CPCA is now the "official" Catholic Church of China. But that doesn't mean we can't pray for the Catholic Church in China, meaning all those who hold onto the "Faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, fire and sword."

Indeed, the universal Church celebrates today, the 24th of May as the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, that China "may become a force for good and a protector of the rights of the most vulnerable."

The commemorative feast marks the Chinese celebration of Our Lady of Sheshan, the patroness of China. It is also, even more importantly, celebrated as the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. So let us pray: 

With faith in your intercession, we pray for the Church, particularly the Church in China, for our family and friends, for the poor and abandoned, and all the dying. Grant, O Mary, Help of Christians, the graces of which we stand in need. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us! 

Note from Ed.: Many thanks to Agent 9 for reminding us of the significance of this date, and for his blessing.

Footnote and further reading: In a story that tells you all you need to know about the secret accord between Rome and the Chinese Communists, AsiaNews.it reports that Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu of Xinxiang and 10 priests of his diocese were arrested late last week, and are being held for “political sessions” with Communist Party officials. They are accused of "criminal activity": conducting religious activities without government approval, and refusing to enlist in the CPCA. 

Bishop Zhang is recognized by the Holy See but not by the Communist government. Under the terms of the secret agreement between the Vatican and Beijing, the Holy See recognized several bishops who had been appointed by the government. But Beijing did not reciprocate by recognizing bishops of the underground Church. 

Chinese Commies won't allow "Patriotic Catholic" churches to re-open

May is the month of Mary. The non-essential Pope Francis has called on Catholics everywhere to pray to Her Immaculate Heart, pray the Rosary, make pilgrimages to holy places like Fatima... if they're allowed by the all-powerful state so to do.

But if the government says churches must remain closed because of the Dempanic, and that we must not gather together to pray -- just stay home! -- then of course we must obey the laws of the state, not God's law. Yes, he actually said that yesterday, in response to the call of the bishops of Italy for churches to reopen so people can have access to the Sacraments!

Italy is, of course, not the only country in which churches have been closed and gatherings of worshippers forbidden. [That applies only to Christians, of course. Ed.]  The bishops of the AABC countries (America, Australia, Britain and Canada) have drunk the liberal Koolaid and believe that the only way we can save ourselves is to follow our governments' guidelines, not our instincts which tell us that in time of crisis, the best place to be is in church, on our knees!

And then there's China. The bishops of the heretical and schismatic Chinese Patrioitic Catholic Association, to which the Vatican sold out back in 2018, have yet to utter a single word against the order of the Communist government to close all churches and "suspend" all religious activities, including not just worship but education. These are the requirements of the CPCA and the Council of Chinese Bishops, the two bodies that manage the life of the Catholic communities in China.

And now (this past Sunday), those authorities have ordered a "double suspension and a postponement" which will apply throughout the month of May. The first "suspension" is that churches will remain closed throughout China. The places of worship have been closed since January 23, the day the quarantine was triggered across the country due to the coronavirus.

In late March and early April, isolation was lifted from the country and the government pushed the population to resume normal life and go to work. But, the Commies warn, although "the epidemic situation in China is currently under control...the pandemic continues to spread abroad, and the danger of cases from abroad has found considerable growth.". Therefores, "the suspension of the opening of places for Catholic activities and for all religious activities must continue." Geddit, comrade?

The second "suspension" is for all activities related to Marian pilgrimages. The reality is that almost every diocese in China has a Marian shrine and these are highly popular during feast days relating to the Blessed Virgin and in particular in the month of May. This year, "no type of pilgrimage activity will be organized during the Marian month."

"To ensure the safety and health of priests and the faithful," says the new order, "please avoid any relapses caused by the gatherings of people; dioceses and parishes are required to suspend group pilgrimage activities, or organize interregional pilgrimages. The bishops and priests must notify their faithful in advance, asking them to pray in their home, recite the rosary, do meditation to venerate the Virgin Mary, spending this month dedicated to Her in peace." Just stay home, like the Americans, Canadians, Britons, Italians, French, etc etc.

The CPCA and the Council of Bishops say, as do our own bishops, that they are just following orders from the state, and that in order to "continue the anti-coronavirus work", it has been established that "religious gatherings should be avoided." Walt predicts that the end of May will see further extensions of the "just stay home" orders, not just in China but around the world. The difference is that in China there's a very good possibility that our churches and holy places may never reopen... ever!

Further reading: "Betrayed and abandoned: why China's underground Catholics feel like Jesus on Good Friday", by Mimi Lau, South China Morning Post, 30/3/18.

Further viewing: "COVIDGATE: Will Trump Lose in November?", by Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspapers. Best line: "Don't let them turn America into a medical dictatorship!"

Cardinal Zen decries/Vatican defends sell-out of Chinese Catholics

Even before the beginning of WWW, I've been writing about the Vatican's perfidious sell-out of the Chinese Catholic "underground Church" -- the 1000s of Catholics who remained loyal to Rome and refused to join the schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association created by the Communists when they took power in 1949. Ever since, the bishops, priests and laity of the underground Church have endured persecution, imprisonment and even martyrdom, while their church buildings and holy sites have been taken over by the Communists, with many being closed and destroyed.

In 2018, an agreement was signed between the Vatican and the Communist Chinese government in which the bishops appointed by Rome -- some of whom had been imprisoned for years -- were effectively fired, to be replaced by stooges of the CPCA. The "official" Catholic churches are now required to pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and worship the false gods of Communism, replacing hymns with patriotic songs. See "Vatican bends the knee to Chinese commies in secret accord", WWW 23/9/18.

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, has from the beginning been an outspoken opponent of the 2018 agreement, which the Vatican insisted was simply intended to "normalize relations" between the Holy See and Communist China. See "Cardinal Zen denounces Vatican's capitulation to Chinese Communists", WWW 13/2/18.

Even though he is now retired, Cardinal Zen has persisted in his criticism of the sell-out of millions of faithful Catholics. See "Vatican-China agreement 'terrible, terrible, terrible': Cardinal Zen", WWW 4/12/19. Now the prelate has been publicly scolded by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the incoming dean of the College of Cardinals.

In a letter sent to cardinals last week, Cardinal Re says Cardinal Zen "did not properly understand the agreement", and insisted that a draft of the deal had the approval of Pope Benedict XVI. He claims that the China-Vatican deal represents the minds of Popes John Paul II and of Benedict XVI, and that Cardinal Zen is mistaken in his opposition to the deal.

"I desire first of all," Cardinal Re writes, "to emphasize that, in their approach to the situation of the Catholic Church in China, there is a profound symphony of the thought and of the action of the last three Pontificates, which -- out of respect for the truth -- have favored dialogue between the two parties and not contrariety.... Cardinal Zen has affirmed several times that it would be better to have no Accord than than a 'bad Accord'. The three last Popes did not share this position and supported and accompanied the drafting of the Accord that, at the present moment, seemed to be the only one possible."

Imagine if Saints Peter, Stephen, Paul and the rest had made a deal with the Romans because "that was the best we could do. It was better than dying..."

Cardinal Zen accused the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin (aka "Petrus Romanus")  of passing incorrect translations of Chinese terms to the Vatican in his effort to push through the deal and neglect criticisms.

In a letter released on Sunday, Cardinal Zen wrote, "I have evidence that Parolin manipulates the Holy Father, who always shows me so much affection but does not answer my questions,"  He charged that Cardinal Parolin "manipulates the Holy Father."

To Cardinal Re’s claim that Pope Benedict XVI had approved an early draft of the Vatican-Beijing agreement, Cardinal Zen responded, "Why was it not signed then?", insisting that the former Pontiff had rejected the deal.

To Cardinal Re, the prelate said, in the letter published in his blog, "I admire your courage in venturing into matters which you also recognize as complex, jeopardizing the prestige of your newly inaugurated honorable office." A very back-handed compliment, well deserved.

Further reading: "Re Against Zen. Divided By a Wall of China", by Sandro Magister, Settimo Cielo, 3/3/20.

Vatican-China agreement "terrible, terrible, terrible": Cardinal Zen

There is another prelate of the Roman Catholic Church -- still alive, thank God -- whose reproaches to the mainstream Church are in the news today. He is Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, S.D.B., who is one of only two living Chinese cardinals. He served as the sixth Bishop of Hong Kong, and was made a cardinal in 2006. He has been outspoken on issues regarding human rights, political freedom, and religious liberty, often attracting criticism from the Communist Party of China and, sadly, highly placed people in his own church. (Hello, Cardinal Parolin!)

In a recent interview with New Bloom, Cardinal Joseph Zen describes Vatican policy toward China as "terrible, terrible, terrible!" The prelate says that he strongly suspects that a diplomatic agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government, which has never been made public, is substantially the same as a previous draft accord with Pope Benedict XVI refused to sign. (See "Vatican bends the knee to Chinese commies in secret accord", WWW 23/9/18.)

The Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, who has warned frequently about the campaign by the Chinese government to exert control over the Church, told New Bloom that his own recent relations with the Vatican have been "simply disastrous." He revealed that when he first became a bishop, he worked closely with Cardinal Jozef Tomko, who at that time was prefect of the Congregation for Evangelization, in efforts to ease tensions between the Church and the Beijing regime. He said that these efforts had borne fruit, with the Vatican regularizing the status of several bishops who had been appointed by the government but were ready to pledge loyalty to the Holy See.

However, Cardinal Zen continued, the Vatican's involvement took a different path when Cardinal Tomko was succeeded by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, whom he bluntly characterized as "no good." Cardinal Sepe in turn was succeeded by Cardinal Ivan Dias, who (Cardinal Zen commented) was a disciple of the late Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, the Secretary of State from 1979 to 1990. Cardinal Casaroli was noted for his willingness to seek accommodations with (read: sell out to) Communist regimes.

Still more recently, Cardinal Zen said, Vatican policy toward China has been driven by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the current Secretary of State. The Chinese cardinal has frequently criticized Cardinal Parolin for failing to see the dangers in an agreement with Beijing. As for his relations with Pope Francis, Cardinal Zen said that they are "personally wonderful." However, he said, "he doesn’t answer my letters." No surprises there! He also accused Francis of having "low respect for his predecessors" and "shutting down everything done by John Paul II and by Pope Benedict."

Will Pope Francis and Cardinal Parolin pay any attention to what Cardinal says, or to the ever-increasing persecution of Chinese Catholics by the Communist dictatorship? Errr, no. Our Lady of China (Simplified Chinese: 中华圣母, Traditional Chinese: 中華聖母), pray for Cardinal Zen, for all Catholic Chinese, and for all who hold and teach the True Faith.

Vatican bends the knee to Chinese commies in secret accord

Writing in the Fatima Crusader almost 11 years ago, a supporter of the "underground" Catholic Church in China predicted that the Vatican's efforts "to proceed on the path of a respectful and constructive dialogue with government authorities, in order to overcome past misunderstandings" between the Holy See and Communist China would eventually result in the betrayal of the many 1000s of Chinese Catholics who had been imprisoned, tortured and even martyred for their fidelity to Rome.

"We must ask some hard questions," the writer concluded. "Will the Vatican find itself forced into an immoral compromise? Will they wrongfully try to force the faithful to end their 'underground activities' and worship only in the Communist-controlled 'church'? Surely the thousands who have been persecuted, even martyred for the sake of True Faith deserve better!"

In fact, the sellout to the Communists began at least six years earlier, by the Holy See's Secretariat of State, as part of its wrong-headed Ostpolitik. Cardinal Joseph Zen (陳日君) saw it coming, and fought against it from the beginning, when he was Archbishop of Hong Kong and after his retirement, right up to today. See, for example, "Cardinal Zen again warns Vatican not sell out to Chinese Commies", WWW 26/1/18. And click here to see all Walt's posts about the courageous prelate.

The Cardinal's warnings went unheeded, of course, and this weekend the Vatican announced the signig of an agreement with the People's Republic of China giving the Communist government "a role in the appointment of new bishops." Henceforth, the Beijing government will name candidates for episcopal office, with the Pope allowed a choice from among the government's nominees. What else were they given? We don't know, for the terms of the accord were not made public.

But, you may ask, hasn't the Roman Catholic Church fought against communism since the 19th century, going so far as to make it a sin to belong to the Communist Party or any secret society? How can the Vatican now order faithful Chinese Catholics to dismantle their "underground Church" and get into bed [into the pew, shurely! Ed.] with the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the schismatic "church" set up by the Communists after they took power in 1940?

Oh nooooo, dear reader! That's old-fashioned thinking! All that changed after Vatican II. This reconciliation with the enemies of Christianity is for the good of the faithful. "The objective of the Holy See is a pastoral one: the Holy See intends just to create the condition, or help to create the condition, of a greater freedom, autonomy, and organization" for the Catholic Church in China. So says Cardinal Pietro Parolin (aka "Peter the Roman") in a statement (in English, for some reason) explaining the accord.

Besides, the Vatican says, the agreement is "provisional" and "foresees the possibility of periodic reviews of its application." Which means... I guess... that they can renege, if it turns out the Commies got the better of the bargain. That would seem to be self-evident, since the Vatican apparently received, errr, nothing in return for its capitulation.

Opponents of the accord say that by giving greater power to the Communist government, the agreement will ultimately put greater pressure on the "underground Church" that has, up till now, resisted government control. Cardinal Zen said angrily that Cardinal Parolin should resign from office because of his betrayal of China's faithful Catholics.

As part of the deal, Pope Francis agreed to lift the excommunication incurred by bishops who had been installed by the Communist government without the approval of the Holy See. Also, the Vatican "persuaded" two bishops of the "underground Church", who had not been recognized by Beijing, to resign and be replaced by prelates of the CPCA. Perhaps the real bishops were lucky. At least they weren't imprisoned or executed!

Walt wonders how bad things would have to get to make the Pope (or should I say Cardinal Parolin, who pulls Francis's strings) see the trap into which he has led us, and call for a "review" of the accord... as if the Communists would actually let that happen. How many "house churches" would have to be raided? How many faithful Catholics would have to be arrested? How many priests and bishops would have to be shut up in prisons or "mental hospitals"? How many would have to be martyred?

Dear Catholic readers, please pray harder than ever for the faithful Catholics of China. They flock been delivered by the shepherds into the care of the wolves. Pray that God and His Holy Mother will give them the strength and courage to keep the Faith. O glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, defend us in battle, and in the struggle which is ours against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against spirits of wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Further reading: "China -- not a good place to be a democrat or a Catholic", WWW 15/6/14.

Cardinal Zen denounces Vatican's capitulation to Chinese Communists

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, a holy day of obligatory fast and abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church. The modern version of the Church doesn't make much of it, because that would mean talking about sin and the necessity of repentance, confession and absolution. It is a good day, therefore, to consider the plight of the underground church in China, the devout Catholics who refused to join the schismatic, Communist-sponsored Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, and remain loyal to Rome and to the practices of the Faith as understood for centuries, until the revolution of the Second Vatican Council.

The practices referred to include the naming of bishops by the Pope, not by the secular government. The Communist government of China prefers to appoint its own bishops to head up its puppet "church", and has relentlessly harassed and persecuted the bishops of the underground church, along with their priest and faithful laypeople, 1000s of whom have suffered imprisonment, torture and death. This doesn't seem to bother Pope Francis and his Secretary of State, who are presently negotiating with the Communists to recognize the puppet bishops and fold the underground church into the CPCA.

Just one prince of the Church has stood up to oppose the Vatican's imminent capitulation to the Chinese Communists. That prelate is Cardinal Joseph Zen, Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong. His message to the Vatican and to the world is that the Communists want to enslave the Church in China. See "Cardinal Zen again warns Vatican not sell out to Chinese Commies", WWW 26/1/18.

Today Cardinal Zen escalated his criticism of the Vatican negotiators (read: appeasers), refuting a statement in which Cardinal Pietro Parolin (aka Petrus Romanus - Peter the Roman), the Secretary of State, tried to explain away the Vatican's approach to the negotiations. Cardinal Zen charged that Cardinal Parolin ignores the dangers of Communist domination. He said that the Secretary of State "venerates the Ostpolitik diplomacy of his master Casaroli." (He was referring to Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, the Secretary of State from 1979 to 1990, who was noted for his efforts to "promote dialogue" with the Soviet bloc. See "Why the 'new' Roman Catholic Church is soft on Communism", WWW 24/8/11.)

According to Cardinal Zen, "[Cardinal Parolin] despises the genuine faith of those who firmly defend the Church founded by Jesus on the apostles from any interference by secular power." The prelate went on to accuse Cardinal Parolin of distorting the message that Pope Benedict XVI had sent in his letter to the Chinese Church. While Pope Benedict had called for unity among Chinese Catholics, Cardinal Zen said, Cardinal Parolin has promoted a false idea of unity, through a "dishonest exploitation of expressions of the letter of Pope Benedict." He said that true unity cannot be achieved as long as the Church in China is divided into "two communities with two structures based on two different, opposing principles."

Charging that the Vatican's proposed solution would mean suppressing the freedom of the independent Church, Cardinal Zen said, "Rewarding traitors? Castigating the faithful? Forcing a legitimate bishop to give way to an excommunicated one? It this not more like rubbing salt on these still open wounds?" He concluded that loyal Chinese Catholics would not accept the Vatican's approach. "Our suffering at the creation of a schismatic Church by others may be inevitable," he said, "but we cannot assist in its creation."

Dear Catholic readers, pray today and always, especially for faithful Catholics in China:

Further reading: "I still don't understand why they are in dialogue with China" (source for this report), by Cardinal Joseph Zen, on the AsiaNews.it website, 13/2/18.

Cardinal Zen again warns Vatican not sell out to Chinese Commies

I confess that I have been remiss in not writing in years, literally, about the plight of the Catholic Church -- the underground Church -- in China. As I wrote in "China -- not a good place to be a democrat or a Catholic", WWW 15/6/14, I do pray Chinese Catholics who, if they wish to be loyal to and in communion with Rome, must worship in secret, like the first Christians. Theirs, not the so-called Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, a puppet of the Communist government, is the true Catholic Church in the Middle Kingdom.

After seizing power in 1949, the Mao's Communists set up the CPCA to separate China's Catholics from Holy Mother Church, requiring them to choose between China and Roman. Some bishops and priests, in fear of becoming martyrs, joined the schismatic puppet "church". Other remained loyal to the Pope and to Rome, and went underground, meeting secretly in private homes and other places. And many of them did become martyrs -- incarcerated in prisons and mental institutions, tortured and in many cases executed for their faith. See "Cardinal Zen: Vatican appeasement hurts true Church in China", WWW 23/2/13.

In recent times, during the papacy of John Paul II and his successors, under the misleadership of successive secretaries of state --  Cardinals Casaroli, Sodano and Bertone -- the Vatican has extended one olive branch after another to Beijing, bending over backwards to find some way of reconciling the "Communist Catholics" (an oxymoron if ever there was one) with the mainstream Roman Church. But the Commies keep appointing their own bishops and persecuting the few remaining bishops consecrated, some secretly, by the popes.

Now it appears that Rome is about to cave. The latest news is that the Vatican recently sent a delegation to China to ask two of the bishops it appointed to make way for two appointed by the Communist government -- a move that would represent a major concession by the Catholic Church. Cardinal Emeritus Joseph Zen (陳日君), erstwhile leader of the battle for China's Catholics, believes that "unifying the churches" in China would amount to an open persecution of true Catholics and a silencing of the underground church. He has tried to inject some iron into the jelly-like backbone of the Vatican by hand-delivering to the pope a plea from the faithful Catholics in China.

CNA reports that on Wednesday of this week, the prelate appeared in Saint Peter's Square, lined up in the cold with other petitioners, to deliver directly into the hands of Pope Francis a letter from the underground Catholic congregation in China, so that the Pope would better understand the situation on the ground. According to Italian media, Cardinal Zen said the letter was successfully delivered, and the Pope promised him that he would read it.

The meeting, however brief it may have been, and the secret letter from the underground church in China, is a clear signal that Cardinal Zen and other Catholics in Hong Kong and China object to the concessions of Pope Francis. The Cardinal has been an advocate for democracy and religious freedom throughout his life and service to the Holy See in Hong Kong. For this reason, he has often been the target of criticism and surveillance by the Communist government of China.

In December 2017, the prelate publicly made clear his views about the talk to "unify the churches" in China, referring to the underground Catholic community and the officially sanctioned CPCA. He lamented what he sees as a misguided change in policy on the part of the Vatican, and stated that he did not believe it was the aim of Pope Francis to pursue such an "evil plan".

If it's not the aim of Pope Francis, then who? Step forward Cardinal Pietro Parolin -- "Peter the Roman" -- who, as the Secretary of State of the Holy See is responsible for, among other things, international relations. For more on Petrus Romanus, see "'Peter the Roman' ready to take over from Pope Francis", WWW 14/1/18. Catholics! Don't say you haven't been warned!

Further reading: "My fight with the Vatican: An exclusive interview with Cardinal Zen on his battle for China's Catholics", Catholic Herald cover story, 19/5/17.

Further reading (more recent): "Danger of Schism in China. Cardinal Zen: 'The Pope Told Me...'", by Sandro Magister, in Settimo Cielo, 29/1/18. Of course I'm only a layman [no reference to #MeToo! Ed.] but it seems to me there is already schism in China. The CPCA is schismatic, having broken away from Holy Mother Church, just as Cardinal Zen affirms in paragraph 4 of his statement.

China -- not a good place to be a democrat or a Catholic

China may be far from Walt's decrepit body, but it is never far from his mind. [Or what passes for it. Ed.] I pray especially -- and hope Catholic readers of WWW will too -- for Chinese Catholics who, if they wish to be loyal to and in communion with Rome, must worship in secret, as did the first Christians. Here's a picture of worshippers at an "underground church" in Yunjiang.

They are gathering in someone's home, because the few church buildings still existing in China are owned by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the schismatic "church" set up by the Communists following the revolution of 1949. 1000s of Catholics, including priests and even bishops, went over to the CPCA, but other 1000s belong to the "underground Church", the True Church recognized by Rome.

Last month the underground Church lost one of its dwindling number of priests. Father John Peng Weizhao, the apostolic administrator of the Yujiang diocese, was arrested on May 30 by agents of the Communist "religious affairs department". His current whereabouts are unknown. Eyewitnesses told UCANews they were saddened -- but not surprised -- when the officials who were on hand when Father Peng was arrested now say that they know nothing about him.

Meanwhile, Joseph Cardinal Zen, the retired Archbishop of Hong Kong, has repeated his support for a democracy initiative in that "Special Administrative Region" of China. The prelate told AsiaNews that the people of Hong Kong will "hit back if they are repressed and forced to be enslaved."

Cardinal Zen is well known not just at the Vatican but to Catholics and human rights activists around the world, thus is unlikely to be treated in the same way as Father Peng. He has taken a prominent public role in support of a referendum calling for true democratic elections in Hong Kong. In a radio interview, he criticized a "White Paper" issued by the Beijing government, which stressed China’s "comprehensive sovereignty" over the region. In the Cardinal's view, the Communists may have sovereignty over the bodies of Hong Kong's people... but not their souls.

Religious freedom guaranteed by Communist China's constitution? LMAO!

The constitution of the People's Republic of China -- Communist China, that is -- guarantees "freedom of religion". Yes, if you're a Chinese citizen, you're welcome to worship in any way, in any church, as long as it's "approved" by the Party. Example: the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, a schismatic "church" set up by the comrades after the 1949 revolution.

If, however, you're a Catholic who wants to be in communion with Rome, you risk being arrested, imprisoned, tortured, even executed. See "Cardinal Zen: Vatican appeasement hurts true Church in China" and "Church refuses to see tyranny of Chinese communism: Cardinal Zen".

This week saw yet another example of the "freedom of religion" enjoyed by Catholics in China. Communist officials in Wenzhou -- a city known as "China's Jerusalem" -- have removed some statues and bricked over others at Longgang Hill, a famous Catholic pilgrimage site.

The New Zealand Herald passes on a report from UCA News that government workers sealed off the holy site, and used bricks to "hide" statues portraying moments from the Passion of Christ, including the Crucifixion. Statues of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, each weighing up to five tons, were "bricked around to hide them from public view" while cranes were used to remove other holy statues and tablets from the park. All other religious decoration was demolished.

But it's not just the Catholics who are being targeted. Officials in Zhejiang province (of which Wenzhou is the capital) have begun a campaign against all Christian institutions and recently demolished Sanjiang church, a large Protestant church that was a member of the Communist association of Protestant churches. The church had recently become a symbol of resistance to the Communist Party's draconian anti-religious policies.

Christians accuse Communist Party leaders of trying to slow the growth of the Faith by destroying churches deemed too "conspicuous". The "anti-church" campaign reflects Beijing's extreme discomfort with the rapid spread of Christianity in China, which one leading academic recently predicted could have the largest Christian congregation in the world by 2030.

But it's not just the Christians who are being targeted. The Communist government also fears the Uighurs, the largest of China's ethnic minorities, who comprise more than half the population of Xinjiang, and significant percentages of the people of neighbouring provinces. The Uighurs are Muslims, which to the Beijing government means "terrorists", actual or potential.

Then there's Tibet, where most ethnic Tibetans have the temerity to cling to their form of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is their spiritual leader, and they hope and pray for his return and for the independence of their country, which was invaded and annexed by China in 1950. That makes the Tibetans (along with the Uighurs), "splittists", in the eyes of the Communist authorities.

Those ungrateful Buddhists... and Muslims... and Catholics! They don't seem to appreciate the freedoms they enjoy under the constitution of the People's Republic of China. Why must they be so damn inscrutable?! Why do they have to have any religion at all?! Better to believe there is no god but the Party! Will they ever learn?

Church refuses to see tyranny of Chinese communism: Cardinal Zen

Joseph Cardinal Zen Zekiun may have retired from his position as bishop of Hong Kong, but he is still -- at 81 years of age -- fighting the good fight against the Vatican's policy of trying to reconcile with the Communist Chinese and their scihsmatic "Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association".

Cardinal Zen is in Rome for the opening of the Academic Year of the Pontifical Lateran University, and gave a provocative interview to the ZENIT news agency in which he again deplored the Beijing government’s ongoing persecution of the Church and the bishops and priests who still owe allegiance to Rome.

China, he said, is still a dictatorship of the [Communist] Party. "Despite the fact that an opening has been reached from the economic point of view, there still hasn’t been any change in politics and religion."

"There is absolute control, contempt for the Church, the humiliation of our bishops," the prelate continued. "Some of them have been in prison for ten years! We, who in Hong Kong still have freedom of speech, must make our voice heard and say what we think."

"There are those who are content at least with an apparent harmony, precisely to avoid any clash," he added, in what can only be a reference to the policies of the Vatican Secretariat of State under its former master, the despised Cardinal Bertone. "But this is mistaken, because arrogance is encouraged by silence. Instead, it is [our] duty to continue to talk and to protest, especially for religious liberty." [Walt's emphasis.]

Cardinal Zen denounced the "make nice with the Commies" actions of some foreign prelates who have had meetings with "bishops" affiliated with the government-controlled CPCA.

"So many cardinals have come, but what have they resolved?" he asked. "They haven’t done anything. They let themselves be photographed and embraced by illegitimate bishops, and, returning to their countries, they have praised China, when instead they saw nothing of the truth."

Pray tomorrow for the Church in China

Our Lady of Fatima warned us that if Her requests were not heeded, the errors of Communism would spread throughout the world. See "Why Pope Francis consecrated his Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima", posted here yesterday.

Nowhere in the world has the truth of this prophecy been revealed than in China, whose Communist régime persecutes Holy Mother Church (and other Christians) to an extent unmatched even in Muslim countries. This is in spite of the ostpolitik carried on by three successive Vatican Secretaries of State: Cardinals Casaroli, Sodani and the disgraced Bertone. See "How the Vatican sold out to Communism".

The Communists stop short of nothing, including torture and imprisonment, to force Catholics to renounce their allegiance to the Holy See and join the schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which they set up after the revolution of 1949. But the true Catholic Church, in union with Rome, persists underground. See "Cardinal Zen: Vatican appeasement hurts true Church in China".

One of the things the Communists do to discourage and intimidate true believers is to keep them away from the Marian shrine at Sheshan, near Shanghai. Chinese Catholics traditionally make a pilgrimage Sheshan on May 24th, the feast day of Our Lady of Sheshan, a day set aside by Pope Benedict XVI for prayer for the Church in China.

Last year and this, pilgrimages are forbidden! The shrine may be visited only by locals, and no special ceremonies are permitted. But that shouldn't stop us -- both Chinese and non-Chinese -- from praying for our persecuted co-religionists and the liberation of the true Church in China.

Yesterday, Pope Francis suggested the following prayer:
Our Lady of Sheshan, in their everyday struggles, sustain the commitment of all those in China, so that they may continue to believe, to hope, to love, and so they may never fear to speak of Jesus to the world and of the world to Jesus. Mary, Virgin most faithful, support Chinese Catholics. Make their commitments, which are not easy, ever more precious in the eyes of the Lord and help the affection and the participation of the Church in China to grow in the path of the universal Church. +

Even if you're not Catholic, or not even Christian, you can pray for all those behind "the Bamboo Curtain" who do not enjoy the freedom of religion that we take for granted. Please do so.

Cardinal Zen: Vatican appeasement hurts true Church in China

It has been some time since Walt wrote about the plight of the "underground" Roman Catholic Church in China. To recap, the "official" Catholic Church, sponsored by the Communist Chinese government, is called the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA). It was organized following the Communist takeover of 1949, and many bishops and priests were coerced into joining. That is, they were pressured into switching their allegiance from Rome and the Pope to Beijing and Chairman Mao.

Putting it another way, the CPCA is schismatic -- not in communion with Rome and not truly part of Holy Mother Church. The remnant of Catholic priests and bishops who stayed loyal to Rome were driven underground, and the "underground Church" not only exists but thrives, in spite of continual harassment and persecution. See "Communist Chinese persecution of Catholic Church intensifies"

Finding a way to bring the CPCA back into the fold was to have been a priority of the pontificate of Benedict XVI. One of the key players was to have been Joseph Cardinal Zen Zekiun, Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong. See "Zen Catholicism".

Did the Holy Father's initiative work? Was the gap between the CPCA and the True Church bridged? Sadly, no. Why not? This week Cardinal Zen gave the answer which had long been apparent but not stated.

In a lengthy interview published in AsiaNews, the prelate charged that Vatican appeasement has helped the Chinese government strengthen its control over the CPCA as well as the underground Church. The Pope set appropriate policies, he said, but "his work was wasted by others close to him, who did not follow his line."

Who were those "others"? Cardinal Zen explains. "I mean people in the Vatican, but also those outside who, without the help of the Holy See, would not have done so much damage."

The cardinal said that Pope Benedict "has done things for China that he has not done for any other country," referring to the Pope's open letter to the Chinese Church, and that Chinese Catholics "should be profoundly grateful to him for this." But he repeated that Vatican officials had failed to follow the Pope's policies and failed to speak the direct truth about Beijing's efforts to seize control of the legitimate Chinese Church as well as their own schismatic group.

Here are the most significant passages from "Card. Zen: The Pope's great overture to China, held in check by the Vatican and Beijing".

"[The Pope] was a lonely voice in the wilderness. I have said and I repeat: his work was wasted by others close to him, who did not follow his line. I'm not here to judge consciences: it is likely that these his advisers thought that maybe he did not know enough about the situation [or] was unable to pursue the right strategy. In any case, these people have not implemented what Benedict XVI has established as the guidelines for the Church in China.

"We are facing an enemy that not only damages the Church, but China too, our motherland. They are government representatives and Church figures who indecently pursue their own interests, enslaving the bishops of the official Church with enormous pressures; leading them by the nose; forcing them to participate in illegitimate ordinations, making alliances with the worst elements.... If one day the supreme leaders of China decide to take a closer look at the work of these their representatives, they will discover horrors and atrocities....

"There are priests who are arrested, interrogated, beaten, tortured, imprisoned for days, but do not give up their faith and love for the Holy Father. Many priests will not accept illegal ordination, there is the case of Ma Daqin, the auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, who in deciding to quit the Patriotic Association was put under house arrest.

"Unfortunately, even in this case, the Holy See was too careful, it did not throw the full weight of its support behind his choice, opting for a policy of prudence and moderation. And we have lost an opportunity to help other bishops in China. While Msgr. Ma is deprived of liberty, they - especially the leaders of the so-called Chinese Bishops' Conference - are carted around in blue cars at the expense of the Party, to eat and drink at banquets, in exchange for obedience to the Party in making gestures against the Pope."

Who is responsible for relations between the Holy See and foreign governments? Who is the chief proponent within the Roman Curia of the long-discredited policy of Ostpolitik -- making nice with the Communists? It is none other than... wait for it... the Secretary of State, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone. Beyond any doubt, he is chief of the "others".

1000s of Catholics defy Chinese government, join in pilgrimage

Earlier this morning Walt told you about Joseph Cardinal Zen's warning that persecution of the Catholic Church in China is getting worse. Now I'm pleased to share with you a report from AsiaNews that more than 3000 Chinese Catholics joined in a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan on May 24th, the day set aside by the Pope for prayer for the Church in China.

Communist officials actively discouraged participation in the pilgrimage, warning of "security" risks, and barred Catholics from other dioceses from attending. But Father Thaddeus Ma Dagin, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Shanghai diocese, led a procession to the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan and concelebrated Mass with 40 other priests.

Before the crackdown of which Cardinal Zen spoke, the annual pilgrimage at times attracted as many as 200,000 faithful. But since 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI asked for special prayers on May 24th for unity within the Chinese Catholic Church, the Chinese government -- which recognizes only its own "Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association" -- has made every effort to minimize the event.

Some Chinese dioceses circumvent the official resistance by making pilgrimages to the Marian shrine on different dates. Others organize days of prayer on May 24th at locations within their own dioceses. Dear Catholic readers, please offer your prayers for the safety and blessing of these courageous Chinese.

Pray also that the Catholics here in the West -- where freedom of religion is supposedly protected by law -- will muster up the courage to stand up for the True Faith against the oppression of the secular humanist governments for which we stupidly keep voting.

The Church in China -- persecuted but still growing

First the good news. In spite of constant discouragement -- putting it mildly -- from China's Communist government and state-controlled media, Chinese are converting to the Catholic Faith in record numbers. According to the Vatican Information Service, over 22,000 new Christians -- almost three-quarters of them adults -- were baptized on Easter Sunday. However some dioceses had not yet reported their baptisms, so that figure is likely to rise.

The report includes 3,500 baptisms in the Diocese of Hong Kong, continuing a remarkable record of evangelization that has stretched across the years, even after the former British colony was handed over to the Communists in 1997. Hong Kong claims about half a million Catholics, including nearly 140,000 non-Chinese. So the adult converts received into the Church at Easter amounted to roughly 1% of the current Chinese Catholic population. An equivalent success for, let's say... Boston... would require nearly 13,000 new adult converts. Good luck with that!

The figures for Easter baptisms are particularly impressive because not all Chinese dioceses gear their programs toward baptisms at the Easter Vigil. In Shanghai, for example, the Easter report showed 379 baptisms, but diocesan officials expect a total figure of 1,500 for the year.

The picture of the state of the Church in China is murky, however, because of the ongoing persecution of the "underground Church" -- the bishops, priests and faithful who owe allegiance to the Holy See -- by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the schismatic "church" established by the Communists shortly after they seized power in 1949.

This week, a special papal commission urged Chinese Catholics to resist the efforts of the CPCA to control the Church in China. A statement released April 26th expressed sympathy for the Chinese bishops and priests who are under pressure. The statement noted the “particular difficulties” of pastors who feel that they must cooperate to some degree with the regime in order to preserve their ability to preach the Gospel.

Here again, that's putting it mildly. Priests and even bishops continue to be harassed, arrested, detained in "hospitals", jailed, and subjected to "re-education" sessions for months on end. Masses are held secretly in "house churches" because the CPCA controls the church buildings. Religious activities such as pilgrimages are forbidden, with worshippers turned away from shrines and holy places by baton-wielding police.

The commission put it a little more diplomatically. Its statement expressed admiration for bishops and priests who "are detained or who are suffering unjust limitations on the performance of their mission." Admiration was expressed for the strength of their faith and for their union with the Holy Father.

The report called upon all Catholics to pray for these persecuted clerics. Dear Catholic friends, please pray for all Chinese Catholics, including the laity, whom the papal commission asks:
"…to take part in civic life and in the world of work, offering their own contribution with full responsibility: by loving life and respecting it from conception until natural death; by loving the family, promoting values which are also proper to traditional Chinese culture; by loving their country as honest citizens concerned for the common good. As an ancient Chinese sage put it, 'the way of great learning consists in illustrating noble virtues, in renewing and staying close to people, and in reaching the supreme good.'"

Footnote: For a recent example of the CPCA's efforts to dominate the Church in China, see "Patriotic Association takes control at ordination of Chinese bishop".

Note from Ed. about the Vatican Information Service website: The first two links in this post take you to the VIS website, which seems to take a long time to load using IE8. Don't push it, e.g. by maximizing the window; just give it time to load and ye shall see.

How Beijing keeps Catholic "bishops" in line

It's been a while since we looked at the state of the Church in China. Walt is sorry (but not surprised) to report that despite the efforts of Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, to make nice with the the Communists, bishops and priests who remain loyal to Rome continue to be persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, and even executed.

The least that can be expected by a bishop who doesn't toe the party line is to be discriminated against when it comes to things like travel outside (or even inside) China, and the freedom (or lack thereof) to speak out on matters of faith and the governance of the Church.

On the other hand, Catholic bishops who accept the leadership of the schismatic Chinese Patriotical Catholic Association -- the puppet "church" established by Beijing following the Communist revolution -- are richly rewarded for their objectively sinful allegiance.

In "Reward or Punishment. How Beijing Sanctions the Bishops", Sandro Magister, a Vatican insider, describes the very favourable treatment accorded by Beijing to "Bishop" John Baptist Li Suguang, who was ordained in October 2010 without the approval of the Holy See. The "bishop", by accepting this invalid ordination, is subject to automatic excommunication. However, he now claims to be acting as a force for reconciliation between the puppet "church" and the millions of Chinese Catholics who practise their Faith in the "underground Church".

Joseph Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong, an outspoken critic of Beijing, recently scolded the Sant’Egidio community for inviting Bishop Suguang to participate in an international conference. Cardinal Zen argued that all Catholics should accept the directive of Pope Benedict XVI to refrain from giving any recognition to the CPCA and its Communist-appointed leaders.

The fact that Bishop Suguang was allowed to travel to the meeting in Germany is itself evidence of the government's favour. Bishops loyal to the Holy See have been routinely denied permission to travel to Rome on Church business.

But that's how it is in the People's Republic of China, where freedom of religion is guaranteed in the constitution... as long as the Communists approve. There's one law for Communist Catholics, and another for real Catholics.

Mind you... there are many traditional Catholics who would say it's the same way in the Church of Rome itself: one law for the modernist, liberal Catholics who go along with the Vatican II "reforms", and another for the traditional Catholics who still cling to the Faith of our fathers.

Where religious persecution bites hardest

Economists love graphs and charts of this sort. So do writers and pundits, because at least 1000 words of text are required to interpret the picture to the average reader. Here's what this one means.
"Rising Restrictions on Religion", a worldwide survey published in August by the much-respected Pew Forum, shows an increase in restrictions on and violence directed against believers in religion. The top offenders are Egypt, Pakistan, and India. Among the Muslim countries, the only one going against the trend is Turkey. The most mistreated group is... wait for it... faithful Christians.

More than 2.2 billion people – nearly a third (32%) of the world’s total population of 6.9 billion – live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion rose substantially between mid-2006 and mid-2009, the period covered by the study.

The survey was done before the "Arab spring" now causing turmoil in northern Africa and the Middle East. But it promises nothing good about future developments there. Even before the Islamists began fomenting rebellion, the indicators were signaling deterioration almost everywhere. In fact, Pew did a similar survey three years earlier, and the situation now shows a widespread increase of persecution, torture and killing of the faithful.

The graphic above focuses attention on countries with populations of more than 50 million inhabitants. That includes Pakistan and Nigeria, from where we get disturbingly regular reports of the execution of Christians and burning of churches. One has only to follow the RSS feeds from a site like Catholic World News (which Walt recommends highly) to see such stories virtually every day.

Then we come to the two giants -- India and China -- where the persecution of Christians just gets worse and worse. India remains the record holder for hostilities among religious groups, which are added to the already burdensome legal restrictions there. They even have laws against the conversion of non-Christians, which effectively prohibit not just foreign missionaries but local Catholic clergy who have been serving India for six centuries, from ministering to their communities. One might expect such laws in Islamist states such as Afghanistan and Iran, but according to its constitution, India is supposed to be a secular state. Ha!

China continues to hold the record – challenged only by Iran and Egypt – for political restrictions on the Roman Catholic Church and other religous groups such as the Falun Gong. (Falun Gong is a rather eclectic mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and taiji. It has the qualities of a religion -- a belief system and numerous adherents -- and was banned by the Communist government of China in 1999.)

Walt has written many times about the schismatic and heretical Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the so-called "Catholic" church set up by the Communists after they seized power in 1949. In "Communist Chinese persecution of Catholic Church intensifies", I explained how the Chinese government is grinding the heels of its jackboots even more fiercely into the bodies of the faithful, in spite of the Vatican's misguided and now discredited attempts to make nice with the atheistic Communists.

More instances of the increased persecution -- and execution -- of Christians may be found in "No summer stop to Chinese repression", published September 2nd on the AsiaNews website, which I also read regularly.

Conclusion: If you're a Christian -- especially if you're a Catholic living in the Third World -- the Islamists, the Hindus and the Communists are out to get you! They have declared war on Holy Mother Church. How much longer must we turn the other cheek?

Communist Chinese persecution of Catholic Church intensifies

In my previous post I explained the historical reasons -- relating to Vatican II and the 1962 Vatican-Moscow agreement -- behind the Church's fight against godless Communism. And at the end of the piece, I referred you to three previous posts on the topic of the Communist Chinese government's persecution of the underground Catholic Church in China.

Thousands of Roman Catholic bishops, priests and laypeople have been arrested, imprisoned, tortured, even executed, because of their persistent refusal to join the "official" (state-run) Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

Atila Sinke Guimarães called the persescution of the Church and the faithful in China one of "the shameful and disastrous consequences of the present day Vatican Ostpolitik, which one can see is alive and active." His article was written in October, 2005, and the situation has worsened steadily since then, especially this year.

It was only a year ago that the likes of Cardinal Bertone -- successor to Cardinals Sodano and Casaroli -- were predicting a great breakthrough, the exchange of ambassadors and cordial diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Beijing. Today, relations between the world's largest country and the world's largest church are as bad as they've been at any time since the Communists seized power in 1949.

In mid-July, the schismatic and heretical CPCA (which is not recognized by the Vatican) consecrated a new "bishop" for the diocese of Shantou, in a ceremony which four bishops of the underground Church, still loyal to Rome, were forced to attend after being abducted by the police. According to AsiaNews, one bishop was "seen sobbing as he was dragged from his home".

The news gets worse. This forced "recognition" of the CPCA was not a one-time thing. In fact, this was the third time in eight months that the Communist-controlled CPCA has installed a new "bishop" without the consent of Rome. Better to say, in defiance of Rome!

The Holy See has responded by declaring that the new "bishop" and the one appointed by the CPCA in similar circumstances in June were ipso facto excommunicated.

To most traditional Catholics, particularly Joseph Cardinal Zen, archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong, the imboglio confirms the lunacy of attempting to appease and co-operate with a Communist régime. To abandon the fight against Communism is to say that the thousands of Chinese Catholics who gave up their freedom and often their lives for the sake of fidelity to the Roman Church were wrong, and that their sacrifices were for naught.

Here's how Atila Sinke Guimarães puts it:

First, regarding the faithful “underground” Catholic Church, the Vatican seems to be punishing it. In effect, for 55 years those Prelates and Catholics endured every kind of physical and moral suffering because they refused to adhere to the “Patriotic Catholic Association,” directed by the Communist Party. This “underground” Church represented heroism and faithfulness to Rome; the “patriot” church represented cowardice and treason.

When Benedict XVI invited both the persecutor and persecuted bishops to attend the [2005] Synod, he implied that the two were equal in the eyes of Rome. This fact sends a strong message to the “underground Church” to change its attitude: it should give up its opposition to the Communist government, which it should accept and support. It also suggests that Catholics end their fight against the “Patriotic Catholic Association.”

This is what Benedict XVI is signifying to the heroic eight million Chinese Catholics of the catacombs. They should deny their glorious past of martyrdom and fidelity to the Pope because a Pope orders them to do so.

Bookmark: For the latest facts on the Communist Chinese persecution of Catholics and other Christians, bookmark AsiaNews. Today's leading article is: "Tianshui: police arrest dozens of underground priests and lay faithful".