Times of India
TNN
Saibal Dasgupta
Dec 29, 2016
BEIJING: Two days before the New Year, a congregation of Catholic priests linked to government authorities have pledged to “align itself closely with the Communist Party of China with General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core. The decision means they would continue to defy the Pope‘s authority in making appointments of priests and heads of churches as is the practise in rest of the world.
Recent months have shown signs of a thaw in the relationship between Chinese authorities and the Vatican. But Thursday annoucement showed that the process of improving relationship, which began after Pope Francis sent a New Year greeting message to Xi, the Chinese president and Communist Party chief, is not likely to take place anytime soon.
Two section of Chinese Catholics are divided on the issue of who will select and appoint priests and heads of churches. The churches linked to the Communist Party have defied the authority of the Pope to make these appointments for decades. There is a large number of so-called undergound churches, who abide by the rules set by the Vatican.
Bishop Ma Yinglin, one of the leaders of the state-backed church, said it “will stick to its sinicization path, adapt to the socialist society and align itself closely with the Communist Party of China with General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core”, state media said. The conference of state-backed churches passed a resolution saying they preferred “self-governance” instead of taking orders from the Vatican in Italy.
“Sticking to the principle of independence and self-governance as well as a system of national congresses embodies the self-esteem and confidence of the Catholic Church in China. They are the foundation of the church’s existence,” the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Catholic Representatives, as the conference is called, said in a statement.
