The papal Commission for the Church in China held its fifth plenary meeting in the Vatican, April 23-25, and afterwards the Holy See issued a communiqué approved by Pope Benedict XVI. That text clarifies once more the Catholic Church’s teaching and discipline regarding bishops in mainland China, and seeks to eliminate the ambiguities introduced by the Patriotic Association and other state-entities on this subject.
The main theme for discussion was: “The formation of the lay faithful”, also in view of the Year of Faith (11 October 2012 – 24 November 2013). This was not a controversial topic and, as the communiqué said, the Commission agreed that bishops and priests in China “should make every effort to consolidate the lay faithful in their knowledge of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and, in particular of ecclesiology and the social doctrine of the Church”.
Such formation is vitally important for the 12 million Catholics of the one Church in China with its two communities: one state recognized (“open”) with 6 million members, the other clandestine (“underground). (Statistics for 2011: Holy Spirit Study Centre (HSSC), Hong Kong).
At its 2011 plenary meeting, the Commission discussed the formation of priests and religious persons in China. At its recent meeting it reviewed developments since then and noted the positive initiatives underway, including formation programs for 5000 women religious (1600 are ‘underground’) and on-going formation for the 3,200 priests (1300 ‘underground).
It expressed concern at the “noticeable decline” in vocations to the priesthood and religious life “in recent years”, and urged Catholics to pray for vocations.
In 2011, seminarians totaled around 1500 (350 ‘underground’), while there were 60 women religious novices (20 ‘underground’).
The discussion on formation consumed one-third of the meeting, and so its 30 participants (approx) – senior Vatican officials, Chinese bishops from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and representatives of religious orders – had time to discuss other important issues relating to “the particular situation of the Church in China
They focused in particular on bishops, also in the light of events over the past year. At the end of 2011, there were 117 bishops in mainland China (HSSC) and all except 7 were legitimate, but very many were over the age of 75.
“The Church needs good bishops”, the communiqué stated. It reminded China’s bishops that it is “from Christ, through the Church” that “they receive their task and authority”. In other words, their “task and authority” does not come from Beijing’s Government or its entities, and they “exercise” it “in union with the Roman Pontiff and with all the bishops throughout the world”.
The communiqué then went to the heart of the problem: “the claim of the entities” created by the Chinese Government “to place themselves above the Bishops and to guide the life of the ecclesial community.”
It identified these entities with the name they use in China: “One Association and One Conference”: that is, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA, established 1957) and the Bishops Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC). The Holy See does not recognize them.
Since the CPA and BCCCC “persist” in making this claim, the Holy See reminded mainland Catholics, and indirectly Beijing’s Government, that, as Benedict XVI stated clearly in his 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics (N.7), their claim “does not correspond to Catholic doctrine.”
It said the pope’s “instructions” are still operative “and provide “direction” and “it is important to observe them”.
By following his instructions “the face of the Church” can shine forth “in clarity”, without ambiguity or confusion.
The Holy See’s communiqué then focused on those “clerics” in China who have obscured (“obfuscated”) this clear Church teaching. It mentions two distinct groups: illegitimate bishops and legitimate bishops. It said the first group “obfuscates” the Church’s teaching because they have been ordained as bishops “illegitimately”, that is without the pope’s approval, and they have subsequently “carried out acts of jurisdiction” or “administered the Sacraments”.
By doing so, the Holy See said, “They usurp a power that the Church has not conferred upon them”.
Moreover, by participating – as some did recently - in Episcopal ordinations that had the pope’s approval, they have “aggravated” their personal status before Church Law, “disturbed the faithful” and “often violated the consciences of the priests and lay faithful who were involved.”
The Holy See’s text then turned to the second category of clerics who ‘obfuscate” the Church’s doctrine. It said these are “legitimate bishops” who have participated in “illegitimate Episcopal ordinations”, that is in the ordinations of bishops who lack the papal mandate.
Without giving numbers, it revealed that “many” of these bishops “have since clarified their position” with the Holy See “and have asked pardon” and Pope Benedict “has benevolently forgiven them”.
But, it said, other bishops “who also took part” in illegitimate ordinations “have not yet made this clarification”, and it “encouraged” them “to do so as soon as possible”.
The communiqué said the Commission’s members follow “these painful events” attentively and “in a spirit of charity” and are aware of “the particular difficulties”, nevertheless it reminded the bishops and priests in China that “evangelization cannot be achieved by sacrificing essential elements of the Catholic faith and discipline”.
That remark would appear also to be a response to the leaders of the CPA and BCCCC who have publicly sought to justify illegitimate ordinations by appealing to the needs of evangelization. “Obedience to Christ and to the Successor of Peter is the presupposition of every true renewal, and this applies to every category of the People of God”, the communiqué stated.
Significantly too, the Holy See’s statement revealed that the Commission discussed the plight of “the bishops and priests who are detained, or who are suffering unjust limitations on the performance of this mission”. There are three bishops and about two dozen priests currently suffering this way, most belong to the “underground” community, but some are from the “open’ community. The Commission expressed “admiration” for “the strength of their faith” and “their union with the Holy Father” and said “they need the Church’s prayer in a special way so as to face their difficulties with serenity and in fidelity to Christ”.
Unlike previous communiqués since 2007, this year’s makes no explicit reference to the Chinese authorities or to the Holy See’s desire for a constructive dialogue with them with a view to the normalization of relations. Evidently, the Commission sees no sign of openness from Beijing for such dialogue today, and concluded that it made little sense to mention it at this delicate historical moment as China prepares to elect the new leadership to govern the country.