http://sundayex.catholic.org.hk/node/3362
The communion of the Church in China with the universal Church
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John
Cardinal Tong • Bishop of Hong Kong • 31 July 2016
Prologue
The
Catholic Church is founded by Christ and transmitted through the apostles as
the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. From the day Catholicism
entered China, China’s Catholic Church has always kept these four marks.
However, since the
establishment of the new China in 1949, the unity between the Catholic Church
in China and the universal Church has become more and more difficult.
Following the expulsion
of Archbishop Antonio Riberi, the Apostolic Internuncio of the Holy See to
China, in 1951, contact between the Catholic Church in China and the
universal Church has been deeply wounded.
Therefore, it can be said
from this point on the Catholic Church in China lost its communion with the
universal Church in an external sense, but in an essential sense, is not a
schismatic Church.
On the contrary, it is a
Church that actively seeks to resume its communion with the universal Church.
But communion with the
universal Church should not just be a spiritual connection, it should also be
expressed through the concrete action of the Roman Pontiff appointing local
bishops.
From the point of view of
the Catholic Church, the appointment of bishops by the pope is an internal
and purely religious affair that has nothing to do with politics.
But over the last 60
years, this has not been understood by the Chinese government, so it has been
difficult for the pope to formally appoint Chinese bishops and the communion
between the Church in China and the universal Church has not been manifest.
Fortunately, after
working for many years on this issue, the Catholic Church has gradually
gained the reconsideration of the Chinese government, which is now willing to
reach an understanding with the Holy See on the question of the appointment
of bishops in the Catholic Church in China and seek a mutually acceptable
plan.
On one hand, the goal is
not to harm the unity of the Catholic Church and the essential right of the
Roman Pontiff to appoint bishops, and on the other, not to let the pope’s
right to appoint bishops be considered an interference in the internal
affairs of China.
While being glad that the
effort of the last few popes has finally achieved some early results, many
people in mainland China and in the international arena who are concerned about
the Catholic Church in China are worried.
They doubt the
possibility of reaching an agreement; they wonder if Vatican officials or the
pope himself may go against the principles of the Church and aim their
criticism and strong reproaches at certain Vatican officials.
They even directly
pinpoint their attack on the current pope, claiming that Pope Francis has
violated the principles of the Church upheld by Pope John Paul II and Pope
Benedict XVI.
Even though the concrete
terms of the mutual agreement have not been made public, we believe that Pope
Francis, as the protector of the unity and communion of the universal Church,
would not accept any agreement that would harm the integrity of faith of the
universal Church or the communion between the Catholic Church in China and
the universal Church.
He would only sign an
agreement that would promote the unity and communion of the Church in China
with the universal Church.
Since there are many
Chinese priests who are concerned about the Church in China, I think we ought
to give a clear and comprehensible explanation of these issues of concern to
them, clearly stating the consistent stance of the Church regarding the
following questions in order to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding:
• Why does the Holy See persistently
insist on dialogue rather than confronting the Chinese government?
• What does it mean by communion
between the local Churches and the universal Church?
• On what criteria should the
bishops in the local Churches of mainland China be appointed?
• What role does the so-called Bishops’ Conference of
the Catholic Church in China have? and what is its
relationship with individual dioceses?
The
significance of Sino-Vatican negotiations
When the gospel enters into any country, ethnic group or culture,
it is not to replace, destroy or to harm the country, ethnic group or
culture, but to fulfil the primordial purpose of God at the beginning of
creation, which is to bring people to participate in the life of God.
Pope Francis said during
his interview with Asia Times on January 28 this year that it is the responsibility of the
Roman Catholic Church to respect all civilisations and this is true also with
respect to the Chinese civilisation, which the Catholic Church honours
extremely highly.
Yet the gospel does not
enter into a country, ethnic group or culture in an abstract way, but
concretely through the person of Christians. It is these messengers of the
gospel that have put human cloaks on the gospel.
People will more easily
experience, understand and accept the gospel if Christians themselves live
out its spirit and values—charity, peace and mercy.
Yet if Christians
themselves, due to some constraints that they themselves are facing, have
caused the expression of the gospel to become a kind of “threat,” or the
Christians themselves have no intention to “threaten,” but due to their
identity as “outsiders” are suspected of having “conspired,” then, the spread
of the gospel will be hindered.
The reasons the
transmission of the Christian gospel into the society and culture of China
have met stumbling blocks and several-times been prohibited from developing
are none other than these.
In fact, the spread and
development of Catholicism in China still face these challenges; at least
some Chinese are still doubtful in their hearts about the spread of
Catholicism in China.
In dealing with the
scepticism of the Chinese people, we should not complain that the kindness of
Christians is not being understood, since complaint does not positively
transform the doubts of others, and nor should we wait passively for these
doubts to automatically disappear sometime in the future.
The evangelical mission
of the Catholic Church to the people in China urges us to act pro-actively,
so that we do not just wait and wander along passively.
Therefore, the way to
help certain people to let go of their misunderstanding and scepticism about
the Catholic Church is through proactive dialogue and communication.
Without doubt, the
process from not understanding, misunderstanding to understanding, trust,
acceptance and friendship, cannot be achieved overnight.
Just as mutual
recognition and trust between people are not simply realised through the
language each other uses, but is built upon acts of mutual goodwill, our
mutual understanding does not rely only on language, but also on how we act
towards one another.
What is more, mutual
trust cannot be completely achieved through a one-time action; the only way
is through long-term and consistent goodwill and action.
Since the reopening of
mainland China in the 1980s, the Catholic Church has countless times, through
Pope John Paul, Pope Benedict and the current Pope Francis, actively extended
olive branches to China, to communicate its goodwill for dialogue.
Both sides have also sent
delegations for mutual visits to carry out face-to-face meetings. In its
two-decade-long goodwill and patient communication, the Holy See has responded
with persistent humility and patience rather than hostile words when being
misunderstood.
This demonstrates the
respect the Catholic Church has for the people of China. She wishes to give
time for the people of China to slowly come to know her, so that they will
come to understand that she is not an enemy of the country or an outside
invader.
She has no hostility
towards the people of China. She is their friend and is willing to help them
to better pursue their own meaning of life. As I have stressed many times,
what can unlock the heart is humility, patience and persistent dialogue—this
exactly is the road of heaven.
Even though God is the
master of the universe, he did not use violence to impose his own plans on
humanity. On the contrary, when his plan was misunderstood and rejected by
human beings, he spoke patiently with them.
The bible records that he
first sent the prophets, but they were not accepted by men and were even
killed. But God did not give up. In the end he sent his only-begotten Son.
But his Son was also killed by men.
If we were to think
humanly, God is the greatest loser. Yet, it is the death of his Son that is
the greatest opportunity for God to reveal his love and the best opportunity
for us to know who God is.
The death of his Son is
the strongest word God has spoken to mankind and is the climax of the
dialogue between God and humanity.
God does not use violence
to conquer the human race. He uses dialogue, humility and patience to move
mankind, so that it may willingly and whole-heartedly accept the invitation
of God.
The method of dialogue
between God and humanity is what we Christians should model ourselves on in
seeking dialogue with other parties.
The several-decades-long
dialogue between the Holy See and Beijing has also shown these
characteristics; gentility, humility, sincerity, patience.
The agreement, as a first
step between the Holy See and Beijing, is the exact fruit of this kind of
dialogue. It is a move from not understanding and not trusting to
understanding and trust.
It is a win-win
situation, for friends will support each other and enrich each other’s lives.
The agreement between the Holy See and Beijing is an example of human
dialogue, the beginning of the normalisation of a mutual relationship.
Dialogue can henceforth continue based on this mutual trust.
The
purpose of dialogue:
Religious freedom and the communion between the Catholic
Church in China with the universal Church
As mentioned above, the
objective of dialogue between the Holy See and Beijing is to remove any
misunderstanding the Chinese government has and allow the people of China to
know in a more objective manner the positive meaning and value the Catholic
Church has to society and to the people of China.
In sum, the goal of the
dialogue between the Holy See and Beijing is to strive for and protect the
rightful religious freedom and rights of the Catholic Church in China that
are written in the Chinese Constitution.
Through dialogue, the
Holy See hopes to point out that the Catholic Church respects the legal
sovereignty of the country, the legitimate power and responsibility of its
rulers and its laws.
Thus, the religious
freedom pursued by the Church is not only the natural right of man as man,
but what helps mankind strive for truth, kindness, beauty and holiness, as
well as improve human relationships together with the harmony and stability
of society.1
What is spread by the
Catholic Church in China is not just a gospel for the individual, but also a
gospel for the whole of society.
Some people criticise the
content and objective of the dialogue between the Holy See and Beijing,
claiming that the Holy See has not openly criticised China’s policies on
human rights and has not attempted to change certain political policies of
the Chinese government.
They say it seems that
the Holy See has given up certain values that it has upheld. This kind of
criticism is unfair.
Pope Benedict has clearly
stated in his 2007 Letter to the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay
faithful of the Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China that the Church is certainly
concerned about social justice and will not give up striving for social
justice, but the Church should not confuse its duty and jurisdiction with
that of the government.
The mission of the
Catholic Church is not to change the institution or administrative agency of
nations. It cannot and should not intervene in political struggles.
Rather, it should realise
the above targets through rational thought and the awakening of spiritual
power.
Without giving up its
principles, it should resolve problems through communication with the
legitimate political power and not through continuous confrontation.2 Christ the Lord did not use the
sword, but in his sacrifice won salvation and true freedom for humanity.
Therefore, the Catholic
Church should also dialogue with Beijing with an attitude of “respect and
charity.” The dialogue is of course not to sacrifice its principles.3 If it were not for the purpose
of protecting the truth and the principles of the Church, why would the
Church repeatedly try to dialogue with Beijing?
Communion
between the Church in China and the universal Church
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
As is said in the Gospel of St. John, the salvific plan of God is for all
people.
Therefore, there is only
one people of God and this kingdom is not of an earthly, but heavenly nature.
Its citizens come from among all peoples.
To realise this plan of
the Father, the Lord Jesus has from the beginning called 12 apostles and “he
formed them after the manner of a college or a stable group, over which he
placed Peter, who was chosen from among them.
“He sent them first to
the children of Israel and then to all nations (cf. Romans 1:16), so that as
sharers in his power they might make all peoples his disciples, and sanctify
and govern them.
“Under the influence of
the Holy Spirit, he gathered together the universal Church, which the Lord
established on the apostles and built upon blessed Peter, their chief, Christ
Jesus himself being the supreme cornerstone.”4
In sum, “The Roman
Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible principle
and foundation of unity of both the bishops and of the faithful.”5
It is only through
communion with the Roman Pontiff that there is communion with the universal
Church and anyone can become a member of the Catholic Church.
Communion with the Roman
Pontiff is a manner of realising communion with the universal Church and a
sign of communion with the universal Church.
The above principles are
applicable to the Catholic Church in China too. In both spirit and in form,
communion with the universal Church is necessarily achieved through communion
with the Roman Pontiff, so that the Catholic Church in China becomes part of
the universal Church.
Pope Benedict said in his Letter to the bishops,
priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful of the Catholic Church in the
People’s Republic of China: “As
you know, the profound unity which binds together the local Churches found in
China, and which likewise places them in intimate communion with all the
other local Churches throughout the world, has its roots not only in the same
faith and in a common Baptism, but above all in the Eucharist and in the
episcopate.
“Likewise, the unity of
the episcopate, of which ‘the Roman Pontiff, as the Successor of Peter, is
the perpetual and visible source and foundation’, continues down the
centuries through the apostolic succession and is the foundation of the
identity of the Church in every age with the Church built by Christ on Peter
and on the other Apostles.
“Catholic doctrine
teaches that the Bishop is the visible source and foundation of unity in the
local Church entrusted to his pastoral ministry. But in every local Church,
in order that she may be fully Church, there must be present the supreme
authority of the Church, that is to say, the episcopal College together with
its Head, the Roman Pontiff, and never apart from him.
“Therefore the ministry
of the Successor of Peter belongs to the essence of every local Church ‘from
within’. Moreover, the communion of all the local Churches in the one
Catholic Church, and hence the ordered hierarchical communion of all the
Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, with the Successor of Peter, are a
guarantee of the unity of the faith and life of all Catholics. It is
therefore indispensable, for the unity of the Church in individual nations,
that every Bishop should be in communion with the other Bishops, and that all
should be in visible and concrete communion with the Pope.”6
The
expression and practice of communion between the Church in China and the
universal Church
The appointment of local
bishops is the expression of the communion between local Churches and the
universal Church.
The Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium (The Dogmatic Constitution of
the Church) says this about the appointment of a local bishop: “The canonical
mission of bishops can come about by legitimate customs that have not been
revoked by the supreme and universal authority of the Church, or by laws made
or recognised by the same authority, or directly through the successor of
Peter himself; and if the latter refuses or denies apostolic communion, such
bishops cannot assume any office.”7
In other words, local
Churches have no authority to appoint their own bishops. Only under the
permission or appointment of the Roman Pontiff can anyone become the shepherd
of a local Church.8
As a result, it can be
seen that the local bishops’ conferences do not have any authority that is
independent from that of the Roman Pontiff to decide on or to appoint local
bishops.
Local bishops’
conferences can only exercise their authority to teach and shepherd local
Churches with the permission of the pope.9
Secular political power
does not have any authority to appoint local bishops, for “the apostolic
office of bishops was instituted by Christ the Lord and pursues a spiritual
and supernatural purpose.
“This sacred ecumenical
synod declares that the right of nominating and appointing bishops belongs
properly, peculiarly, and per se exclusively to the competent ecclesiastical
authority.
“Therefore, for the
purpose of duly protecting the freedom of the Church and of promoting more
conveniently and efficiently the welfare of the faithful, this holy council
desires that in the future no more rights or privileges of election,
nomination, presentation, or designation for the office of bishop be granted
to civil authorities.”10
The above principles are
applicable to the way the Holy See deals with the Catholic Church in China.
Pope Benedict clearly
expresses in his Letter to the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay
faithful of the Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China that “the claim of some
entities, desired by the State and extraneous to the structure of the Church,
to place themselves above the Bishops and to guide the life of the ecclesial
community, does not correspond to Catholic doctrine, according to which the
Church is ‘apostolic’, as the Second Vatican Council underlined.
“The Church is apostolic
‘in her origin because she has been built on ‘the foundation of the apostles’
(Ephesians 2:20). She is apostolic in her teaching, which is the same as that
of the apostles.
“‘She is apostolic by
reason of her structure insofar as she is taught, sanctified and guided until
Christ returns the apostles through their successors who are the bishops in
communion with the Successor of Peter’”; “to implement ‘the principles of
independence and autonomy, self-management and democratic administration of
the Church’ is incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”11
Therefore, in realising
its communion with the universal Church, the Church in China is not any
different from any other local Church. They all need to obey the highest
teaching and administrative authority of the Roman Pontiff.
But because inside China
there are people who are sceptical and worried about the Roman Pontiff having
the final decision-making power on the appointment of local bishops in the
Catholic Church, the appointment of bishops has become the most sensitive
issue in this mutual relationship.
Despite the fact that the Holy See insists on appointing bishops
for the sake of protecting the unity and the community of the Church, when a
bishop is appointed, the pope is exercising his highest spiritual authority
and this authority in no way involves interfering in the internal political
affairs or violating the sovereignty of the country.
Still, the pope
understands that the Chinese government is concerned about the influence the
Catholic bishops may have on society.
Consequently, the Holy
See is willing to dialogue on the issue on the appointment of bishops in the
Church in China and to reach a mutually acceptable consensus under the
premises that the principles of the Catholic faith and of ecclesial communion
are not violated, for dialogue does not run counter to the hierarchical
communion of the Church.12
On the appointment of
Catholic bishops, canon 377 of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church says:
§1. The Supreme Pontiff freely
appoints bishops or confirms those legitimately elected.
§2. At least every three
years, bishops of an ecclesiastical province or, where circumstances suggest
it, of a conference of bishops, are in common counsel and in secret to
compose a list of presbyters, even including members of institutes of
consecrated life, who are more suitable for the episcopate.
They are to send it to
the Apostolic See, without prejudice to the right of each bishop individually
to make known to the Apostolic See the names of presbyters whom he considers
worthy of and suited to the episcopal function.
§3. Unless it is
legitimately established otherwise, whenever a diocesan or coadjutor bishop
must be appointed, as regards what is called the ternus to be proposed to the
Apostolic See, the pontifical legate is to seek individually and to
communicate to the Apostolic See together with his own opinion the
suggestions of the metropolitan and suffragans of the province to which the
diocese to be provided for belongs or with which it is joined in some grouping,
and the suggestions of the president of the conference of bishops.
The pontifical legate,
moreover, is to hear some members of the college of consultors and cathedral
chapter and, if he judges it expedient, is also to seek individually and in
secret the opinion of others from both the secular and non-secular clergy and
from laity outstanding in wisdom.
§4. Unless other
provision has been legitimately made, a diocesan bishop who judges that an
auxiliary should be given to his diocese is to propose to the Apostolic See a
list of at least three presbyters more suitable for this office.
§5. In the future, no
rights and privileges of election, nomination, presentation, or designation
of bishops are granted to civil authorities.
It is clear from the
canon on the appointment of bishops in the Code of Canon Law that the appointment of local
bishops by the pope is purely a Church affair.
The Church reserves this
privilege and authority to itself, and does not give any privilege or special
permission of election, appointment, presentation or designation to the political
authority of the country.
There are mainly two ways
the pope appoints local bishops. First, the pope himself freely appoints.
Second, the pope approves as bishop the person elected in accordance with
legal provisions. Here, the legal provisions of course refer to those
accepted as legitimate by the Catholic Church.13
If there is no legal
provision on which the candidates for the episcopacy ought to be based, then
the pope will use his own judgement to appoint bishops, without being
restricted by any civil or religious power.
When the pope freely
appoints bishops, he will seek the opinion of people within the Church and
choose the most suitable person from a list of candidates.
People to be consulted
include: bishops of the other dioceses of the same province, the national
bishops’ conference, the current or previous bishop of the diocese and the
pontifical legate.
The pontifical legate
makes a personal visit to seek the opinion of a local Church. After the
investigation, a list of candidates is reported to the pope based on the
results of the investigation.
The list of names
includes the candidates he considers to be suitable and the candidates which
the metropolitan of the province, the bishops belonging to the same province
or the suffragan entities of the province, consider suitable.
Canon Law also requires
that the pontifical legate listen to the opinions of members of the college
of consultors and cathedral chapter, and if he considers it beneficial,
secretly seek the opinion of other clerics serving in the diocese and that of
lay people with outstanding wisdom.
The above are the main
principles generally followed in the election and appointment of bishops in
the Catholic Church. In concrete practice, they may be adjusted according to
what is feasible in the local situation.
In appointing bishops all
over the world, the Catholic Church chooses ways that do not violate the
principles of faith and communion according to the specific circumstances.
For instance, the
so-called Vietnam model is what the Apostolic See tailored to suit the
situation of the Catholic Church in Vietnam.
On the election of
bishops by the Apostolic See and the Chinese government, the Apostolic See
should not be criticised over the way it decides on the appointment of
bishops in the Church in China, so long as the above principles are not
violated.
Regarding the appointment
of bishops in the Church in China, the Apostolic See has the right to set up
special provisions to target the specific circumstances faced by the Church
in China. This does not violate the principles of faith nor destroy the
communion and unity of the Church.
Currently, there is still no bishops’ conference accepted by the
Apostolic See in the Church in China.
If the Bishops’
Conference of the Catholic Church in China, after fulfilling the basic
requirements of the Church, is in the future accepted by the Apostolic See as
legitimate, it, or the bishops in the provinces under it, would have the
right and responsibility to recommend episcopal candidates they consider as
suitable to the pope.
This is totally in
accordance with the tradition of faith of the Church and does not destroy the
communion and unity of the Catholic Church.
If the agreement reached
between the Apostolic See and Beijing included contents regarding the
episcopal candidates for China recommended by a pontifically approved
bishops’ conference of China, we should not consider that the Church has
sacrificed its own communion with and the administrative right of the pope in
the Church in China.
Certainly, a bishops’
conference of China, once legally constituted and recognised, and the bishops
in the provinces under it would only have the power of recommendation, while
the power of final decision would still be reserved to the Apostolic See.
The Apostolic See has the
right to choose from the recommended list the candidates it considers as most
suitable and the right to reject the candidates recommended by a bishops’
conference of China and the bishops in the provinces under it. In such cases,
the process of consultation would commence again.
On the
bishops’
conference in China
A local bishops’ conference has the right to recommend
episcopal candidates to the Apostolic See.
Yet, for reasons obvious
to all, some bishops of the Catholic Church in mainland China “under the
pressure of particular circumstances, have consented to receive episcopal
ordination without a pontifical mandate, but have subsequently asked to be
received into communion with the Successor of Peter and with their other
brothers in the episcopate.
“The Pope, considering
the sincerity of their sentiments and the complexity of the situation, and
taking into account the opinion of neighbouring Bishops, by virtue of his
proper responsibility as universal Pastor of the Church, has granted them the
full and legitimate exercise of episcopal jurisdiction.
“This initiative of the
Pope resulted from knowledge of the particular circumstances of their
ordination and from his profound pastoral concern to favour the
reestablishment of full communion.
“There are certain
Bishops—a very small number of them—who have been ordained without the
Pontifical mandate and who have not asked for, or have not yet obtained, the
necessary legitimation.
“According to the
doctrine of the Catholic Church, they are to be considered illegitimate, but
validly ordained, as long as it is certain that they have received ordination
from validly ordained Bishops and that the Catholic rite of episcopal
ordination has been respected.”14
In mainland China, there
are also some bishops of the clandestine Churches not yet recognised by the
Chinese government. Some may still be living in situations deprived of
freedom and are unable to exercise their ministry as bishops.
Therefore, there is
currently no legitimate bishops’ conference recognised by the Apostolic See
in mainland China, for “the ‘clandestine’ Bishops, those not recognised by
the Government but in communion with the Pope, are not part of it; it
includes Bishops who are still illegitimate, and it is governed by statutes
that contain elements incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”15
Consequently, a future
bishops’ conference of China would have to include all the legitimate bishops
of the open Church as well as the clandestine bishops, to form an integral
bishops’ conference in China.
Currently in mainland
China, there are still bishops not yet recognised by the pope who ought to
fulfil the statutes of the Catholic Church for legitimate bishops so that
they can subsequently be recognised by the pope as legitimate.
The Apostolic See
earnestly desires: “What great spiritual enrichment would ensue for the
Church in China if, the necessary conditions having been established, these
Pastors too were to enter into communion with the Successor of Peter and with
the entire Catholic episcopate!”16
To strive for and protect
the legitimate authority of the bishops of the clandestine Churches in China,
Rome should also conduct a dialogue in order that these bishops be recognised
by the Chinese government as legitimate.
Some people are worried
that the illegitimate bishops are being treated with excessive leniency in
Sino-Vatican negotiations puts the principles of faith and communion of the
Church in second place.
Such worries are
unnecessary. In its unceasing insistence on dialogue with the Chinese government,
the Apostolic See aims not to sacrifice the principles of faith and communion
of the Church, but to help the Chinese government understand the real meaning
of the principles of faith and communion of the Church through dialogue and
negotiation, so that the Chinese government will no longer be sceptical and
remove its various unnecessary administrative measures imposed upon the
Church in China.
In this way, the
integrity of faith and communion of the Church would be protected. If the
Holy See has any intention of forsaking the principles of faith and communion
of the Church, there would actually be no need for it to dialogue and
negotiate with the Chinese government.
The unceasing dialogue
actually represents the unwavering stance of the Holy See towards this
question.
Some people are concerned
that the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese government may
sacrifice the legitimate rights of the clandestine Churches.
Some are worried that the
clandestine bishops in prison may be forgotten by the negotiators
representing Rome. I believe that this worry could represent a mistrust of
the love of the Holy See towards the Church in China.
This way of thinking may
indeed be an offence against the Holy See and its delegated representatives
in the negotiations; it should not come from the hearts of us Catholics.
The sacrifice made by the
clandestine Churches in their perseverance in the faith of the Church is
universally acknowledged.
The universal Church also
demonstrates its concern for the struggle for survival of the clandestine
Churches by trying to lend a helping hand to it in all sorts of ways.
The dialogue between the
Holy See and Beijing in fact aims to change the clandestine Churches’
abnormal condition for survival, so that they may soon practice their
religious faith under the protection of the law.
The previous Pope
Benedict begins his Letter to the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay
faithful of the Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China by stating that his heart is
deeply concerned about his brothers and sisters in the Church in China, and
that he prays for the Catholic Church in China every day.17
The current Pope Francis
also “prays for China” every day in front of a statue of Our Lady of Sheshan
that he keeps in his private chapel.18
We should not doubt the
deep concern of the pope towards our brothers and sisters in the clandestine
Church in China.
The dialogue and
negotiation between the Apostolic See and the Chinese government is a
long-term process. Coming to know each other, mutual understanding, mutual
acceptance and mutual recognition take time.
We do not expect that the
problems accumulated over several decades between China and the Vatican can
be solved in one go. We have to allow time and patience on both sides. A
journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
As long as both sides
have begun to establish a relationship of mutual trust, there is no reason
that we should make a pessimistic forecast or give a premature death sentence
to the negotiations.
We dare to positively
hope for fruitful results in the dialogue with each other because of our
pursuit and perseverance in faith. We believe that goodness and not evil is
the world’s ultimate ruling power.
The Catholic Church
perceives the people and the rulers of China as friends who also seek
goodness, justice and other similar universal values.
“Friendship is nourished
by contacts, by a sharing in the joy and sadness of different situations, by
solidarity and mutual assistance.”19
Let us keep the smooth
continuation of negotiations between the Apostolic See and Beijing in our
prayer. A Sino-Vatican agreement will certainly be a win-win outcome and not
a zero-sum game.
Conclusion
Needless to say, some
people still have certain “serious difficulties, misunderstandings and
hostility” about the communion mechanism of the Catholic Church.
Thus, the Catholic Church
continuously stresses that “in the course of a respectful and open dialogue
between the Holy See and the Chinese Bishops on the one hand, and the
governmental authorities on the other, the difficulties mentioned may be
overcome”, hoping “that an accord can be reached with the Government so as to
resolve certain questions regarding the choice of candidates for the
episcopate, the publication of the appointment of Bishops, and the
recognition—concerning civil effects where necessary—of the new Bishops on
the part of the civil authorities.”20
Since the resumption of
dialogue between the Apostolic See and the Chinese government got underway in
recent years, many people have positive expectations for the development of
Sino-Vatican relations, and hope that Sino-Vatican dialogue can change the
survival conditions of the Church in China.
Moreover, we are aware
that our many brothers and sisters in the clandestine Church are also
supportive of the dialogue between the Apostolic See and Beijing.
They “[do] not see a
potential agreement between the legitimate authority of the People’s Republic
of China and the Holy See as a political compromise or even as a form of
giving in.”
They believe that the
normalisation of Sino-Vatican relations “is the direction we are headed in”,
it “could bring ‘good things for the Chinese people and not just for
Catholics’”, “it brings [them] joy”, for “it would make the everyday life of
Catholics in China much easier”, “the people of God in China will be given
more space and freedom to practice the faith”, thus “we follow the Pope and
trust any decision he takes with regard to relations with China.”21
We hope these good wishes
for the Church in China will soon be realised.
(Original
language Chinese)
UCAN
news – reporting the above article
Hong Kong:
Cardinal
John Tong Hon of Hong Kong has defended China-Vatican negotiations as a win-win
situation while rebuffing worries that the Holy See would give up church
principles and sacrifice the underground church in exchange for successful
negotiations.
His article, published in the Chinese and English diocesan weeklies on Aug. 4,
comes at a time when China and the Vatican are ready for another round of
negotiations this month.
Negotiations between China and the Vatican have quickened since a working group
was established in April. Both sides are ready to sign an accord, according to
a report by Reuters on July 14.
Cardinal Tong observed that many people in and outside China "wondered if
Vatican officials or the pope himself may go against church principles and aim
their criticism and strong reproaches at certain Vatican officials."
"They even directly pinpoint their attack on the pontiff, claiming that
Pope Francis has violated church principles upheld by Pope John Paul II and
Pope Benedict XVI," he said.
Some people are worried about sacrificing the legitimate rights of the
underground church community while the eight illegitimate bishops, whom the
pope intends to pardon on the occasion of the Year of Mercy, are being treated
with excessive leniency.
The cardinal rebuked these worries as "a mistrust of the love of the Holy
See" and is "an offence against the Holy See and its delegated
representatives in the negotiations."
"Even though the concrete terms of the mutual agreement have not been made
public, we believe that Pope Francis, as the protector of the church, would not
accept any agreement that would harm the integrity of faith in the universal
church," the cardinal said.
Yet, he thinks the pope ought to give a clear and comprehensible explanation of
the goal of the negotiation, the communion of the church, as well as his stance
on the bishops' appointment and the future legitimization of the bishops'
conference in China.
Difficult knots remains despite dialogue
China has insisted on electing and ordaining its own bishops. But, the Catholic
Church rules that local churches have no authority to appoint their own bishops
and that the church "desires that in the future no more rights or
privileges of election, nomination, presentation, or designation for the office
of bishop be granted to civil authorities."
"We do not expect that the problems accumulated over several decades
between China and the Vatican can be solved in one go but a China-Vatican
agreement will certainly be a win-win outcome," he said.
Without naming top party elites, Cardinal Tong acknowledged that "inside
China, there are people who are skeptical" about the pope's authority on
the bishops' appointment.
Sun Chunlan, director of the United Front Work department, wrote in an article
published on July 31 on Qiu Shi, a journal of the Communist Party's Central
Committee, that stressed that "there is no subordinate relationship"
between religion in China and those outside China.
Interpreting the speech made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the National
Conference for Religious Work in April, Sun noted that there are now 200
million religious believers in China, and being too loose or too tight on
religious management are both incorrect.
On July 10, the Party's main print mouthpiece, the People's Daily, also
published three articles, reiterating the importance of sinicization and asking
religious groups to "resist control from a foreign version of the same
religion." The phrase was used the first time, believed to be pinpointing
the Vatican.
Opposing views towards communist regime
Cardinal Tong's article reflects the two apparent opposite forces in Hong Kong
and China over dialoguing with the communist regime. Such "line
struggles" exist not just in the Catholic Church but also in Protestant
denominations, between the leaders and the faithful, as well as in the split
society of Hong Kong, where people felt diminishing freedom and increasing
suppression on human rights.
In a recent article on his blog, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said he was
misunderstood when he confronted the regime but questioned if there was basis
for dialogue. "How can you call it 'confrontation' if a lamb refuses to be
eaten by the wolf?" he said.
However, Cardinal Tong refuted this and said that the Holy See has not openly
criticized China's policies on human rights and has not attempted to change the
political policies of the Chinese government. "They say it seems that the
Holy See has given up certain values that it has upheld. This kind of criticism
is unfair," he said.
The communion of the Church in China with the universal
Church