What happened?
Pope Francis defended his deal with China, first to journalists on the papal plane and then in a letter to Chinese Catholics released by the Vatican the next day. He said he took full responsibility for the deal and that, in any such agreement, “both sides lose something” – for him, that was total control of bishops’ appointments. In his letter he said the aim was to “heal the wounds of the past, restore full communion among all Chinese Catholics” and aid the preaching of the Gospel.
What commentators are saying
John Allen, writing at Crux, said the gist of the Pope’s letter was: “Trust me.” He needed to make this kind of appeal, Allen said, because so few details are known about the deal and Catholics can only guess what it means. The problem, Allen wrote, is that Pope Francis is facing a “trust deficit”, partly because of what he has inherited – “underground Catholics in China often feel the Vatican has betrayed them repeatedly since the era of Paul VI” – and partly because the Pope hasn’t offered the kind of transparency that would win back that trust. “Once Catholics know how the deal is structured, what’s been given away and what’s been maintained,” Allen wrote, “they might be more inclined to withhold judgment until they see how it works out on the ground.”
L’Espresso writer Sandro Magister argued that, in Vatican-China relations, Beijing was “calling the shots”. He pointed out that the Chinese authorities had selected which of its bishops would attend the youth synod – previously, popes had chosen delegates themselves, though these bishops were denied permission to go. Magister also cited the case of a 56-year-old underground bishop being forced to “step aside” for his “official” counterpart. “Here, too, is confirmation of how the Chinese regime finds itself at an advantage,” he wrote.
Michael Sainsbury, at La Croix, said a downside of the dialogue was Vatican silence on Chinese repression. Francis has drawn attention to the Rohingyas’ plight, he noted, yet has not spoken up for the million or so Muslim Uighurs in Chinese re-education camps –
“another great human tragedy in Asia”.
✣German bishops to discuss priestly celibacy
What happened?
Cardinal Reinhard Marx was asked if Germany’s bishops would discuss priestly celibacy as part of their response to the country’s abuse crisis. The cardinal, who is president of the bishops’ conference, said: “There must be no taboo subjects.” His remarks came after a report detailed thousands of cases of clerical child abuse between 1946 and 2014.
Why was it under-reported
The idea that priestly celibacy might contribute to the abuse problem has lost traction in recent years. In this year’s global abuse crisis, it has barely been mentioned. But Germany is different: the role of celibacy has been a key theme in coverage. The report commissioned by the bishops, while not blaming celibacy per se, listed it as a potential causal factor. Many German Catholics want the celibacy requirement to be abolished and argue that priests with families would help end a “don’t ask, don’t tell” atmosphere about sexuality among clergy.
What will happen next?
The German bishops are under enormous pressure to respond to the abuse report. Even if, as is likely, they move the focus away from celibacy, the fact that it has been debated at all is likely to give a lift to reformers – whose big opportunity comes with the Amazon synod next October, when bishops are expected to discuss the ordination of viri probati – married men of proven worth. Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, vice president of the bishops’ conference, has said that if the Pope approves married clergy for the Amazon region, “we have to ask for it, too”.
✣The week ahead
Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, Scotland has asked Catholics in Britain to pray the rosary under a cross on Sunday, the feast of the Holy Rosary, as an act of reparation for sins against faith, life and love. Bishop Keenan says that the Church has been “in a state of crisis”. Parishes taking part in the “Rosary Under the Cross” have registered at rosaryonthecoast.co.uk.
the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham will arrive at Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire, next Thursday. The statue is touring cathedrals and abbeys ahead of England’s rededication as the Dowry of Mary in 2020. A week later it goes to Salford.
The Mount Street Jesuit Centre in Mayfair, London, is hosting a day-long workshop on marriage tomorrow. The workshop, entitled “Feed your Marriage with God’s Word”, aims to help couples see more clearly how God is present in their relationship by reflecting on Scripture. It is led by Brian and Maureen Devine, co-authors of a book series called “I Am With You”.
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