The Holy See has expressed "profound sorrow" and "regret" over the manner of convocation and conclusions of the Assembly of Chinese Catholic Representatives.
A statement released by the Vatican Press Office denounces "the
repressive attitude" and "intransigent intolerance" of the authorities
towards the Church, "a sign of weakness and fear, instead of one of
force, " it reaffirms the "grave violation"
of religious freedom of Catholics and especially priests and bishops
forced to participate, highlighting the responsibility "before God and
before the Church” of the pastors present and finally it recalls that
the "so-called Bishops' Conference and the Catholic Patriotic
Association are not recognized by the Church and are "incompatible" with
Catholic faith.
In the document, then, despite the fact "these acts are
unacceptable and hostile," the Holy See "reaffirms its willingness to
dialogue honestly" and recalls the invitation that the Pope has
addressed to all Catholics in the world to pray for the Church in China,
which is experiencing particularly difficult times.
“1. With profound sorrow, the Holy See laments the fact that
from 7 to 9 December 2010 there was held in Beijing the Eighth Assembly
of Chinese Catholic Representatives. This was imposed on numerous
Bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful. The manner in which it was
convoked and its unfolding manifest a repressive attitude with regard
to the exercise of religious liberty, which it was hoped had been
consigned to the past in present-day China. The persistent desire to
control the most intimate area of citizens’ lives, namely their
conscience, and to interfere in the internal life of the Catholic Church
does no credit to China. On the contrary, it seems to be a sign of fear
and weakness rather than of strength; of intransigent intolerance
rather than of openness to freedom and to effective respect both of
human dignity and of a correct distinction between the civil and
religious spheres.
2. On several occasions the Holy See had let it be known, first
and foremost to the Bishops, but also to all the faithful, and
publicly, that they should not take part in the event. Each one of those
who were present knows to what extent he or she is responsible before
God and the Church. The Bishops in particular and the priests will also
have to face the expectations of their respective communities, who look
to their own Pastor and have a right to receive from him sure guidance
in the faith and in the moral life.
3. It is known, moreover, that many Bishops and priests were
forced to take part in the Assembly. The Holy See condemns this grave
violation of their human rights, particularly their freedom of religion
and of conscience. Moreover, the Holy See expresses its deepest esteem
for those who, in different ways, have borne witness to their faith with
courage and it invites the others to pray, to do penance and, through
their works, to reaffirm their own will to follow Christ with love, in
full communion with the universal Church.
4. Addressing those whose hearts are full of dismay and
profound suffering, those who are wondering how it is possible that
their own Bishop or their own priests should have taken part in the
Assembly, the Holy See asks them to remain steadfast and patient in the
faith; it invites them to take account of the pressures experienced by
many of their Pastors and to pray for them; it exhorts them to continue
courageously supporting them in the face of the unjust impositions that
they encounter in the exercise of their ministry.
5. During the Assembly, among other things, the leaders of the
so-called Episcopal Conference and of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic
Association were appointed. Concerning these two entities, and
concerning the Assembly itself, the words written by Pope Benedict XVI
in his 2007 Letter to the Church in China continue to apply (cf. nos. 7 and 8).
In particular, the present College of Catholic Bishops of China
cannot be recognized as an Episcopal Conference by the Apostolic See:
the "clandestine" Bishops, those not recognized 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. It is deeply deplorable
that an illegitimate Bishop has been appointed as its
President.
Furthermore, regarding the declared purpose to implement the
principles of independence and autonomy, self-management and democratic
administration of the Church, it should be remembered that this is
incompatible with Catholic doctrine, which from the time of the ancient
Creeds professes the Church to be "one, holy, catholic and apostolic".
It is therefore lamentable also that a legitimate Bishop has been
appointed President of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.
6. This is not the path that the Church must follow in the
context of a great and noble nation, which attracts the attention of
world opinion for its significant achievements in so many spheres, but
still finds it hard to implement the demands of genuine religious
freedom, despite the fact that it professes in its Constitution to
respect that freedom. What is more, the Assembly has rendered more
difficult the path of reconciliation between Catholics of the
"clandestine communities" and those of the "official communities",
thereby inflicting a deep wound not only upon the Church in China but
also upon the universal Church.
7. The Holy See profoundly regrets the fact that the
celebration of the above-mentioned Assembly, as also the recent
episcopal ordination without the indispensable Papal mandate, have
unilaterally damaged the dialogue and the climate of trust that had been
established in its relations with the Government of the People’s
Republic of China. The Holy See, while reaffirming its own wish to
dialogue honestly, feels bound to state that unacceptable and hostile
acts such as those just mentioned provoke among the faithful, both in
China and elsewhere, a grave loss of the trust that is necessary for
overcoming the difficulties and building a correct relationship with the
Church, for the sake of the common good.
8. In the light of what has happened, the Holy Father’s
invitation – addressed on 1 December 2010 to all the Catholics of the
world to pray for the Church in China which is going through a
particularly difficult time – remains pressing”.
SIC: AN/INT'L