This has been written by a Chinese Catholic, to whom we have for obvious reasons granted anonymity.
The translation of Bishop Shen Bin from the Diocese of Haimen to the nearby diocese of Shanghai on 4th April 2023 marks the failure of the secret Sino-Vatican agreement of 2018. Diocesan priests in Shanghai are mostly reluctant to accept Bishop Shen Bin as the bishop of Shanghai, and it seems difficult for Bishop Shen to execute his governance such as transferring the priests among parishes.
The appointment was made, without the approval of the Apostolic See, by the so-called ‘Chinese Bishops’ Conference’, an institution controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), of which Bishop Shen Bin is President. This is now the second time that the CCP has appointed a bishop without papal approval.
The first time was the illicit appointment, denounced by the Vatican, of Bishop John Peng Weizhao, the bishop of the Diocese of Yujiang in Jiangxi Province, as auxiliary bishop of the so-called ‘Diocese of Jiangxi’. (As well as controlling the appointment of bishops, the Chinese state has taken upon itself the
reorganisation of dioceses without reference to the Holy See.) Looking back over the five years since the agreement, it is difficult to discern its positive outcomes.
Up to 2018, there were ‘underground’ bishops who recognised the authority of the Pope, and a parallel structure of bishops and dioceses, the ‘Catholic Patriotic Association’ (CPA), which was in fact a branch of the Chinese State. The bishops of the CPA were, however, ordained validly, and in some cases made public or private declarations of loyalty to the Pope.
Perhaps surprisingly, CPA bishops and their priests are not necessarily shielded from persecution—the seizure of church buildings, for example, or arbitrary arrest—and large numbers of dioceses are deliberately left without bishops. No official Bishops’ Conference recognisable by the Vatican was possible, since by definition a Bishops’ Conference must have as its members all and only the legitimate bishops of a nation.
On the other hand, apart from Ad Apostolorum Principis of Pope Pius XII in 1958, the CPA has not been officially denounced as a schismatic entity by the Vatican, which over many years preferred to maintain a situation of ambiguity, in the hope that this would make some future rapprochement easier. In this confusing situation, lay Catholics generally felt able to attend services organised under the authority of both sets of bishops.
The 2018 agreement was intended to bring some order into this situation. First, to ensure that all the bishops of the CPA were consecrated with the necessary ‘pontifical mandate’ from the Vatican. Second, to fold the ‘underground’ Church into the CPA, so that there would be one, genuine, Catholic Church in China. Third, to create a stable ongoing situation with a level of Chinese state involvement acceptable to both sides. Its failure, however, can be summarised under three points.
These two cases have become widely known among Chinese Catholics, and it seems clear that the agreement has done nothing but encourage the Chinese state to encroach yet further on the liberty and rights of the Church. Instead of making concessions without any reciprocal move from China, it is high time the Vatican at least registered a protest. For the sake of the dignity of the Catholic Church, we urge that:
There is an old Chinese saying that “A gentleman would rather die than be humiliated” (士可殺不可辱). Chinese Catholics don’t want endless concessions that only bring pain and suffering to the Church. Even at the cost of diplomatic embarrassment, we would prefer that the Vatican break its silence and respond to this illicit translation with courage and dignity, rather than turning a blind eye to it.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.