Chinese Catholics – including “clandestine” bishops – are starting to talk about relations between Beijing and the Holy See, directly. But Cardinal Joseph Zen wants to carry on dictating things from the outside, and has lashed out against Vatican Insider for two interviews it published (and against the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin). Here we publish a comment sent to us from China by the “clandestine” priest Paul Han
PAUL HAN*A foreword. Just after Vatican Insider published the two interviews with Giuseppe Wei Jingyi and Giuseppe Han Zhi-hai, Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, posted an article titled “It seems someone wants to shut us up” on his blog. Zen criticised Gianni Valente (an Italian journalist who writes for Vatican Insider and is the author of the two articles in question, Ed.), accusing him of sending out the following message: “Two bishops in China, in communion with the pope and who have paid for this, their loyalty, are fully in support of a Sino-Vatican rapprochement. You people who refuse to share this enthusiasm had better shut up.” Zen also expressed his concern about the words the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, pronounced on a number of occasions regarding this issue. According to Zen, Parolin represents those who are open to making “compromises” at any cost and have “conceded too much to the other side”. I shall leave aside the criticisms Cardinal Zen made against Gianni Valente and Cardinal Parolin. They will respond to these if they so wish. But I cannot fail to say something about Wei Jingyi and Han Zhi-hai, the two bishops who were interviewed. I was glad to read Bishop Wei’s interview on the internet and I immediately wrote an article titled: “The Church in China needs more bishops like Wei Jigyi”.
Over the years, we have heard so many ambiguous and controversial opinions being voiced by media outlets, organisations and Church figures living and working outside China, regarding the affairs of the Catholic Church in China.
By contrast, we have seen people like Bishop Wei Jingyi, who was able to give a sincere, open and at the same time dignified, humble and genuine interview, in which he talks about all his experiences and suffering. All this led me to reflect on the fact that we have been giving and continue to give the false impression that pastors and lay Catholics in China are “immature” and therefore need “willing men” from outside to come and give guidance. In time, this impression became ingrained in the minds of individuals and entire groups outside China. Unfortunately this sometimes influenced pastors and lay Catholics in China. Some became convinced that they were not “up to the job” and that they always needed outsiders to intervene and speak for them. Without realising it, some adopted the opinions and warnings that came from outside as if those were the criteria to follow. Even though we have our own experience and understanding of things, due to our inherent sense of inferiority, we submit ourselves to outsider input and keep silent, psychologically conditioned by the fear of making mistakes. We even censor the mere thought of trying to build something on the basis of our discernment. This strong sense of inferiority which is common among pastors and lay Catholics in China, has led us to seek footholds elsewhere in order to stay balanced psychologically. This is certainly not the best way of doing things because it leads nowhere. You simply harm yourself and the community.
For the abovementioned reasons, when I read Bishop Wei’s interview on Vatican Insider, I was happy to see a Chinese bishop, especially a bishop representing the “clandestine” community, speaking with sincerity and an open heart, with humility and dignity, without any sense of inferiority. It gave me fresh hope and I wished to express this by writing a small article. At the same time all of this filled me with great hope for the future. I began to trust that in the future there would be even more Chinese bishops who would be willing, as Bishop Wei was, to speak out about the relationship between China and the Holy See amongst other things. This is part of what God asks of them, because it is part of their mission and it meets an expectation the Church community has of them. First and foremost, it is a part of the responsibility and mission they are currently called to fulfil. This is why, when I saw the second interview with Bishop Giuseppe Han Zhi-hai of Lanzhou published on the Vatican Insider website, I rejoiced again, without thinking that it had anything to do with my humble article.
Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. Cardinal Zen wrote an article in Chinese titled: “It seems someone wants to shut us up”, in which he despotically stated: “Those who go into China to interview Church people should be aware that they are not free and cannot speak freely.” “To suppose that they are free is simply naïve. To interview them, knowing that they are not free, is cruel and also unfair to the readers who may be misled,” Cardinal Zen wrote.
From what I understand, for years now, Cardinal Zen has continuously been telling everyone outside China that Chinese bishops are “people who have the identity of slaves and are like little dogs that are kept on a leash” (see article written by Cardinal Zen in 2010 titled “Where there is dialogue, there there is contradiction”). So all those who treat Chinese bishops like free people who are able to think and interview them, are simply wasting their time and energy; in fact they are “misleading readers”. If anyone wants to interview someone, they should interview a person who is free and who has the right ideas, Cardinal Zen for example. In fact he has been interviewed many times and these interviews have always caused a lot of din. And unfortunately on many occasions, a look at the facts revealed the cases in which suspicions were justified and readers really were being “misled”.
On 13 February 2012, for example, the daily newspaper Ming Bao, published an article titled “Zen: the Chinese Communists have infiltrated the Holy See”. The title caught readers’ attention, sparking a never-ending series of discussions in ecclesial communities both within and outside China. All this went on until 22 February, when Cardinal Zen finally issued a public statement to clarify things. “I” the cardinal told us in his statement, “believe I am an intelligent and rational person but sometimes I am not intelligent or rational enough. Sometimes I have caused misunderstandings and problems and for this I apologise.” Zen justified himself by explaining the context in which he had been interviewed. He said the cook of the Salesian novitiate had gone on holiday at the start of the year. So he was at the stove (“my favourite dish is caramelised pork”) on the fourth day of Chinese New Year and had just finished cooking. “The next day I discovered there was a problem with the title of the interview. But I didn’t give much thought to it. I didn’t want to create controversies. And in any case, Hongkongers know newspaper editors like a good scoop…”
In mid-March 2013, when Pope Francis was elected Pope, Cardinal Zen told the BBC that the new Pope was a “conservative person”. But the reality has proved quite different. Two year on, Pope Francis has shown that his style is not reactionary. In fact some are worried that he has taken reforms too far. Hence the opposition.
Since 2014, Cardinal Zen has told the media on a number of occasions that he has advised the Pope not to visit China if he does not wish his visit to be exploited. Zen intimated that Francis didn’t heed his “suggestions”. When he flew through Chinese airspace during his trip to Korea, the Pope sent not one but two greetings to China’s leaders and people. Answering journalists’ questions on the return flight, he said he would be happy to visit China “tomorrow”. On 16 September, Argentinean website Infobae revealed that Pope Francis wrote to Chinese president Xi Jinping, inviting him to meet him in the Vatican to talk about world peace. The Pope also wrote that he is prepared to go to Beijing if it would make it easier for this goal to be achieved.
Whether it was because his suggestions were not heeded by the Pope or not, the fact is that the cardinal was not satisfied and did not hesitate to show signs of defiance also regarding the choices made by the Successor of Peter. For example, when Zen learnt that the Pope did not receive the Dalai Lama – who was in Rome participating in another initiative – in December, he immediately posted an article about the late Taiwanese cardinal Paul Shan, recalling that he had held a public meeting with the Dalai Lama and describing him as “a man who had guts, a Chinese man who did not yield under pressure,” insinuating that Pope Francis on the other hand is fearful and surrenders to the Chinese super-power. Answering journalists’ questions on the flight from Rome to Manila, the Pope said: “I saw that some newspapers said I didn’t receive him out of fear of China. That’s not true.” The Pope clarified that “the motive was not a refusal of a person, or fear of China.” He added that “we’re open, we want peace with everyone”. Then, regarding relations with China, he stressed: “The government of China is respectful (educated), we’re respectful (educated), let’s take things one step at a time. That’s how things are done in history, no? We don’t yet know, but they know that I’m available either to receive [someone] or to go [to China].”
All these facts show that Cardinal Zen thinks he is in charge of managing the affairs of the Church, particularly issues relating to the Church’s presence in China. He speaks loudly and sometimes shouts without looking at the facts, showing even less regard for the dignity and difficulties of the bishops of the Chinese Church, the successors of the Apostles. Hence his voice drowns the voices of the bishops and laity of mainland China. His voice does not appear to be in tune with that of Cardinal John Tong, the Titular Bishop of Hong Kong. His voice also seems detached from the voices of the Pope and the Secretary of State. But the voices of Cardinal Zen and his supporters have widespread reach as they are often broadcast through many channels and using different instruments. Take this and put it together with attendance at a few international meetings or symposiums here or there and to the circulation of photos of him speaking at some conference and the whole thing works quite well.
Plastic images and oft-repeated slogans help create an image of authority and superiority over others. When really, the voice of China’s bishops, priests and lay people are lost in the immensity of the digital world and in an ocean of words. As I rejoiced at the space our two “clandestine bishops” found in the international mass media, Cardinal Zen was immediately “left with a bitter taste” in his mouth. He felt the need to tell Gianni Valente that he didn’t follow the rules of his profession. He even criticised the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin for taking the wrong “attitude”. Zen also wants to send a strong warning to the two “clandestine” bishops Wei and Han and to other Chinese bishops who may intend to express their thoughts on the Church in China: he wants to warn them that they do not know the “rules of the game”, that they are not suitable interviewees because they are not “free people” and have an “identity of slaves”, they are simply “little dogs” kept on a leash.
Lastly, Cardinal Zen did not forget to use the cases of Bishops Su Zhi Ming and Shi En Xian – two elderly bishops who disappeared a while ago – to intimidate Gianni Valente and “representatives of the Holy See”. As if to say: if you don’t even know where the two bishops are and aren’t even able to give assurance that they are still alive and kicking, then you shouldn’t carry out any more interviews and should give up your “positive attitude”. Be careful or I will set the media machine on you and denounce those who are bad and who has betrayed the faithful Church. Cardinal Zen seems to have neglected the fact that he does not know where the two elderly bishops are either, or whether they are alive or dead. If we are to establish their whereabouts and what conditions they are in, it is not enough to gather a few people and hold a demonstration where contradictory slogans are yelled out.
In order to obtain positive results, we need to show the nation, the government and the people that we Catholics are not antagonistic people and that ours is not a “foreign religion”. We must show that we work with sincerity in the interests of an independent, righteous and great nation. That we are Chinese people who work and contribute to social harmony, prosperity and stability. Isn’t this what Bishops Wei and Han are really saying in their interviews? Isn’t this the message Pope Francis and the Secretary of State Parolin have always tried to get across by all means? Why, Cardinal Zen, do you say Chinese bishops should not be interviewed? Why do Pope Francis and the Secretary of State Parolin’s statements bother you? Why do you consider yourself as the only measure of truth, a sort of “human canon” who has the power to judge what is right and what is wrong?
Before I conclude, I cannot say I do not agree with Cardinal Zen on one point at least: the situation in which the Church in China currently finds itself is “gravely abnormal”. “It is the government that runs the Church. For things to turn normal, we need a miracle.” He is totally right about this, especially in the following sense: we believe in miracles and so we want to let ourselves be guided by the light of the faith. To continue a ceaseless dialogue, engaging in dialogue after dialogue, until the miracle happens. Or do you not believe in miracles Cardinal Zen?
* Paul Han Qing Ping is a Chinese priest who comes from a Catholic family. He studied Missiology and Church History abroad between 1996 and 2006. After his priestly ordination he returned to China and currently works in a pastoral charity organisation that provides social assistance to the poor and those affected by natural disasters. He also teaches Church History in a seminary and leads retreats for the laity and religious communities. This is the link to his personal blog:http://blog.sina.com.cn/blessedone . In the blogging world he is also known as Gan Pao Lu. Fr. Paul Han is a member of the so-called “clandestine” community of the Catholic Church in China. The word “clandestine” is an unfortunate and misleading term used to describe that group of bishops, priests and faithful who do not associate themselves with the bodies and methods that form part of Beijing’s religious policy.
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/cina-china-china-39261/
