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. 

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.

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".

Persecution of Church in China getting worse: Cardinal Zen

May 24th -- Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians -- was a special World Day of Prayer for China. To mark the occasion, Joseph Cardinal Zen, the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, gave an interview to ZENIT, in which he asserted that the persecution of the Church in China is becoming "more real and concrete".

According to the prelate, the Chinese Communist government is "employing increasingly dangerous and skilled methods, because they no longer stop at just threatening people; instead, they are now leading them into temptation. They do not want to make martyrs, they want to encourage renegades. For the Church this is so much worse. They have the means to test people, good, weak or timid, and reduce them to obedience. Their tools are money, but also prestige, honour or positions in society.

"What we need most today is to be faithful to the true nature of the Church -- one, Catholic, apostolic, founded on the rock of Peter" he continued, adding that he hopes for the day when Catholics "now still under the slavery" of the schismatic and heretical Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association reconcile with the faithful Catholics of the underground community.

"Humanly speaking, we see no intention of the government willing to recognize religious freedom," said the cardinal. "But God, through Our Lady Help of Christians, can work miracles."

Dear Catholic readers, your prayers for the "underground church" -- the true Church -- in China are needed not only on one special day, but every day of the year. Implore Our Lady to help the millions of Chinese who are not allowed by their diabolical government to worship God and His Divine Son in freedom and peace.

Previous posts on this topic: "The Church in China -- persecuted but still growing" (27/4/12), "Where religious persecution bites hardest" (4/9/11), "Zen Catholicism" (10/9/10).

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".

Catholics in China -- follow-up

In "Catholicism under fire in China" (Nov. 18) I reported on the Communist Chinese government's plan to call a meeting of the "National Assembly of Catholic Representatives" before the end of 2010.

The ostensible purpose of the meeting is to elect a new president of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), the schismatic puppet "church" set up by the Reds after the revolution of 1949. Understand the real meaning. The "president" of the CPCA is called (by the Communists) the head of the Catholic Church in China. That, of course, is the vilest heresy. There can only be one head of the Church, and that is the Vicar of Christ, His Holiness the Pope.

No Catholic, and especially no Catholic bishop, can give even the appearance of assent to the claim of the Communist appointee to be head of the Church, not even in his own country. It's on a par to Henry VIII's claim to have made himself head of the Church in England. St. Thomas More, St. John Fisher and many other martyrs met a cruel and horrible death for speaking the truth to Henry VIII's power -- the truth being that the English king had not the power to take the place of the pope.

To avoid having anything to do with the illegal and heretical election, some of the Chinese bishops have gone into hiding in order to avoid attending the meeting. Othere are attending -- some because they have been forcibly transported to Beijing, according to AsiaNews -- but will refuse to concelebrate with those state-appointed bishops who are not in communion with the Holy See.

Please continue to pray for the bishops, priests and lay people of China who face imprisonment, torture, even martyrdom, for their loyalty to the One True Church and the Chair of St. Peter.

Public funeral for Chinese bishop forbidden by Communists

On August 31st Walt noted the death of Chinese Catholic bishop John Yang Shudao, who had for decades been a victim -- one of many -- of Communist harrassment and persecution. Today the Fides news agency reports on his funeral, held on September 1st.

They say Bishop Yang's funeral was “obliged to be held in a private manner and under strict surveillance of security forces.” The scene must have been like that at the funeral of a New York mafioso! Such is the "freedom of religion" guaranteed by the Chinese constitution.

Chinese Catholic bishop dies: faithful to challenge Communists?

It's been some time since we looked at the schizophrenic state of the Catholic Church in China. Faithful Catholics must choose whether to give their loyalty to the schismatic "Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association" -- a puppet of the Communist government -- and the "underground Church", the bishops and priests who owe their allegiance to the Holy See.

The underground Catholics must meet in secret, for fear of being arrested and imprisoned...or worse. Their churches -- the buildings which survived the Cultural Revolution -- have been handed over to the CPCA or closed altogether. So also their shrines, which may still exist but are off limits to the faithful.

Rome has been pussyfooting around the issue. Led by the Vatican's left-leaning Secretary of State, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, the Holy See has been trying to find some way to reconcile with the "official" church.

New bishops have been consecrated with the consent of the Communist government. Some say those who accept their mitres from Rome and Beijing are no more than collaborators with one of the most repressive and autocratic régimes on earth.

Meanwhile, the old bishops are dying ... or being killed off. On August 28th John Yang Shudao, Bishop of Fuzhou, died at the age of 91, as the result of a crippling stroke.

Bishop Yang had been imprisoned by the Communists in 1955, released in 1981, but later sentenced to a new 3-year term, after his 1987 consecration as a bishop. He had been held for shorter terms at least twice since 2000. In all, he spent more than 28 years in Communist prisons.

His death poses a new test for the level of cooperation between the “official” Catholics recognized by the Beijing régime and the underground Church loyal to the Holy See. About two-third of the Catholics in the Fuzhou diocese adhere to the underground church.

Bishop Yang’s funeral is scheduled for September 1st, and government officials are reportedly working to "assert control", lest a massive public demonstration reveal the CPCA for the fraud that it is.