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11-28-2006, 12:01 PM
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China defies Vatican over bishop
China has named a new Catholic bishop in a move likely to increase tension with the Vatican.
Father Wang Renlei will be ordained on Thursday, a Chinese official said.
China and Rome do not have diplomatic relations and in May the Vatican excommunicated two bishops who were ordained without its approval.
There are 10 million Catholics in China, divided between the officially tolerated Patriotic Church, and an underground Church loyal to Rome.
"Wang Renlei was elected as the bishop of the Xuzhou diocese," Liu Bainian, vice president of the China Catholic Patriotic Association, told the French news agency AFP.
"This election is legal and valid. This is in the interest of the [Chinese] Church....a church cannot exist without a bishop," he said.
"We cannot wait until after the normalisation of relations to consecrate bishops," Mr Liu said.
'Deep displeasure'
There has been no comment from Rome so far, but in May the Vatican excommunicated two bishops who were ordained by China.
Pope Benedict XVI expressed his "deep displeasure" over the appointments.
Beijing and the Vatican have been engaged in talks for some time with the aim of re-establishing relations, which were severed more than 50 years ago.
China does not recognise the Pope's authority, insisting that all Chinese Catholics belong to a state-run church.
China is often accused of religious oppression by human rights organisations.
In August, Beijing released a bishop jailed for more than 10 years for being a member of the underground Roman Catholic Church, loyal to the Vatican.
In the past, many other followers of the underground Catholic Church have also received lengthy prison sentences.
And many Buddhist monks and nuns have been jailed for their loyalty to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/6191208.stm
China defies Vatican over bishop
China has named a new Catholic bishop in a move likely to increase tension with the Vatican.
Father Wang Renlei will be ordained on Thursday, a Chinese official said.
China and Rome do not have diplomatic relations and in May the Vatican excommunicated two bishops who were ordained without its approval.
There are 10 million Catholics in China, divided between the officially tolerated Patriotic Church, and an underground Church loyal to Rome.
"Wang Renlei was elected as the bishop of the Xuzhou diocese," Liu Bainian, vice president of the China Catholic Patriotic Association, told the French news agency AFP.
"This election is legal and valid. This is in the interest of the [Chinese] Church....a church cannot exist without a bishop," he said.
"We cannot wait until after the normalisation of relations to consecrate bishops," Mr Liu said.
'Deep displeasure'
There has been no comment from Rome so far, but in May the Vatican excommunicated two bishops who were ordained by China.
Pope Benedict XVI expressed his "deep displeasure" over the appointments.
Beijing and the Vatican have been engaged in talks for some time with the aim of re-establishing relations, which were severed more than 50 years ago.
China does not recognise the Pope's authority, insisting that all Chinese Catholics belong to a state-run church.
China is often accused of religious oppression by human rights organisations.
In August, Beijing released a bishop jailed for more than 10 years for being a member of the underground Roman Catholic Church, loyal to the Vatican.
In the past, many other followers of the underground Catholic Church have also received lengthy prison sentences.
And many Buddhist monks and nuns have been jailed for their loyalty to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/6191208.stm