Cardinal Zen: "I must choose between rebellion against the Pope, and silence."

"Global Times on the Vatican delegation in the People's Republic of China. Cardinal Zen: "I have to decide".

(Rome / Beijing) Vatican spokesman Greg Burke indirectly confirmed the Vatican operation in the People's Republic of China to force legitimate, faithful bishops to resign, giving way to schismatic, bishops.
 

"Practical steps"

 

On Saturday, December 15, the Global Times, a regime friendly, English-language newspaper in the People's Republic of China, reported the presence of a Vatican delegation in China. This had taken place in the Communist empire because of "practical steps in the implementation of the agreement on the bishops".

 
Last September, for the first time since the Communist takeover in 1949, a bilateral agreement was signed between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China, but its contents are kept secret by both sides. As the Global Times confirmed, this is about episcopal appointments.
 
In 1958, the Communist regime established its own religiously dependent Catholic Church, independent from Rome, the so-called "Patriotic Association," and has since appointed its own bishops without the consent of Rome. These bishops were excommunicated from Rome.
 
Simultaneously with the signing of the secret agreement, Pope Francis lifted the excommunication of these bishops and recognized them as legitimate bishops. The agreement also appears to require that these bishops be appointed and recognized as diocesan bishops by Rome. Since autumn 2017, it is known that the Vatican is urging two faithful bishops to resign to make way for bishops excommunicated so far.
 
Last week, as the newspaper reported, a Vatican delegation was in the "Middle Kingdom" to hold "talks on the implementation of an agreement on the appointment of bishops."These," said a spokesman for the Holy See,  "talks were conducted with both government and church representatives."
 
The spokesperson, according to the article, was Vatican spokesman Greg Burke, who was contacted by the Chinese newspaper last Friday.
 
The newspaper also quoted Wang Meixiu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as saying that the talks were about filling vacant episcopal chairs. 

The "new model"

The Global Times also confirmed that a bishop appointed by the regime is being used by the Vatican as a legitimate diocesan bishop. Underground Bishop Guo Xijin of Mindong accepted the papal call to resign last Friday. He is replaced by the regime's Bishop Zhan Silu.
 
Bishop Guo Xijin was a dialogue partner of the Vatican delegation. He will be, as the Vatican wishes, auxiliary bishop of Bishop Silu in his former diocese. He confirmed this to Global Times after the meeting with the delegation from the Vatican.
 
Global Times presented the unusual resignation and role reversal as a "normal castling," which goes back to "practical", ecclesiastical "necessities."
 
There is talk of a "new model" that, if accepted by both sides "with good will", could be established with regard to episcopal nominations. Should that translate to mean that the diocesan bishops in future come from the Patriotic Association and the auxiliary bishops from the Underground Church?
 
Global Times concludes:

"The Press Office of the Holy See did not respond to questions as to whether the delegation's mission also included discussions on the establishment of diplomatic relations or a possible visit by Pope Francis to China."

Cardinal Zen: "Unacceptable, so I'll be silent from now on"

Meanwhile, Cardinal Joseph Zen, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong and gray eminence of the Chinese Underground Church, commented on recent events. He was disappointed with the monthly Tempi that Rome forces legitimate and faithful bishops to resign to establish bishops who have been unfaithful and have turned away from Rome.

"I have told these two bishops that they should not resign voluntarily so as not to cooperate with evil. But I have also advised them to obey if the Pope orders it, because a pope's command must always be obeyed."

At the beginning of the year, Cardinal Zen experienced the great defeat when it became clear that Pope Francis is against all warnings, for the agreement with Beijing (see also "The problem is who sits in the cage" ). Because of this disappointment, the cardinal reasons, since it is impossible for him because of his office and as a Catholic, to criticize the Pope, he will at last to retire to a monastery and to keep silent.

He said to Tempi :

"There is the problem of the seven bishops excommunicated and pardoned by Francis. So far none of them has been placed at the head of a diocese. If this happens, I will be silent for ever, because that would be unacceptable and would force me to decide to rebel against the Pope or to remain silent. I will be silent."

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Global Times / Wikicommons (Screenshots)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

China: Bishop Aloyisius Jin Luxian

Shanghai (AsiaNews) - Msgr. Aloyisius Jin Luxian, official bishop of Shanghai died today at 2.46 pm local time. The prelate, one of the most important personalities of the Chinese Church, was 97 years old and had been ill for a long time. In recent months he had been hospitalized and no one was allowed to visit him.

A highly controversial personality, often accused of being "too patriotic" and friendly with the regime, Msgr. Jin, who was a Jesuit, contributed to the development of the Church in a decisive way. Several years ago he was reconciled with the Pope and the Holy See considered him the "auxiliary" bishop of Shanghai. The ordinary bishop was Msgr. Joseph Fan Zhongliang, who is also very old and sick.

The diocese of Shanghai has not yet set a date for the funeral. According to AsiaNews sources the government has been long preparing for such a ceremony, especially from the point of view of who should preside. For the Holy See, in fact, the liturgy by right should be celebrated by Msgr. Thaddeus Ma Daqin, ordained on July 7. But after having decided to leave the Patriotic Association, Bishop Ma was put in solitary confinement in Sheshan seminary. According to unconfirmed reports in recent days Msgr. Ma has been removed from the diocese, perhaps to impede his participation in Msgr. Jin's funeral.

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Msgr.-Aloysius-Jin-Luxian,-official-bishop-of-Shanghai,-has-died-27775.html

Excommunicated Bishops Members of Chi-Com Parliament

Beijing (AsiaNews) - At least four illegitimate bishops - and some officially excommunicated - have been appointed or re-appointed members of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the two most important political structures of the People's Republic. Both summits, with thousands of participants are underway in the capital: the NPC began this morning, the CPPCC began on March 3.

The bishop of Shantou, Huang Bingzhang, illegitimately ordained and officially excommunicated by the Holy See in 2011, was appointed as a new member of the NPA.

Three other illegitimate bishops were chosen for the CPPCC: Ma Yinglin of Kunmin, president of the so-called "Chinese Bishops 'Conference" [not recognized by the Holy See]; Zhan Silu of Mindong, Vice-President of the Conference itself; Lei Shiyin of Leshan, vice-president of' Patriotic Association. Lei was also officially excommunicated by the Holy See in 2011.

Link to Asia News...

Underground Bishop Lorenz Zhang Wenchang is Dead -- 24 Years in Concentration Camp

Bishop Lorenz Zhang Wencheng

(Hong Kong) At the age of  92 Msgr Lorenz Zhang Wencheng has died.  The Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kunming had passed twenty four years of his life in Communist concentration camps.  The Bishop died on the 5th of February.  His burial is planned for the 12 of February.

Bishop Zhang, who died in his home village of Shilin, was the Apostolic Administrator of three church districts south of Yunnan: Kunming, Dali and Zhaotong.

In 2006 the Communist regime has been on a collision course with the Vatican and recently on its own and without the approval of the Pope its own Bishop loyal to the regime in Kunming.  The unjustly consecrated Ma Yinglin drew an excommunication upon himself immediately.  Subsequently the Communist Party in china has promoted him to become the President of the Council for China's Bishops.  The Council, not being recognized by Rome, is true to the regime in opposition to the Bishops Conference which is loyal to Rome.

Despite the support from the regime for the loyal Patriotic Union, Ma Yinglin is avoided by the Catholic Faithful.  Where ever he goes out in public, Catholics leave and refuse to receive the Sacraments from him.

Bishop Zhang belongs to the underground Church.  Till his life's end he lived under strict police surveillance.  His life was that "typical" of the Martyrs to Communism.  Born in 1920 in a Catholic family, he went to Catholic schools. In 1946 he was ordained a priest by Bishop Alexandre Derouineau.  Msgr Derouineau was expelled by the Communist takeover of China in 1952.

Msgr Zhang served next at the Cathedral Church in his home Diocese.  In 1953 he had to give up his pastoral activity during the Maoist persecutions and became a rabbit and chicken farmer.  in the underground he continued to work as a priest and cared for hidden Christians.

In 1958 Msgr Zhang was imprisoned during the Communist campaign, "Agains the Reaction" and condemned to 20 years of imprisonment.  Under the cynical motto "Reeducation Through Work", the priest passed his period of forced labor in a concentration camp till 1982.  Till 1987 he was recognized as a pries t by the state and worked openly as a clergyman again.

The Church of Yunnan numbers around  60.000 Catholics.  The majority belong to ethnic minorities.  Since the expulsion of Bishop Derouineau in 1952, the See has been officially vacant.  The government has prevented since then the appointment of Bishops by Rome.  Instead, the Communist regime installed its own loyal Bishops in 1962, without the agreement or recognition by the Pope.  Msgr Kong Lingzhong usurped the Bishop's See till his death in 1992.  Since 2006 Ma Yinglin  has unjustly occupied the Bishop's See.  The Holy See has since named underground Bishops for the vacant Diocese, which are occupied by a standing persecution.

Link to Katolisches...

Text: Asianews/Giuseppe Nardi
Bild: Asianews

Cardinal: Vatican Names Dogs in Place of Bishops

The Vatican has recognized men who've been the Communist regime's Bishops for years. In public, the supposed warming of relations to fat cats was bought in Peking. The faithful will pay the bill.

[kreuz.net, Hong Kong] The Emeritus Bishop of Hong Kong, Joseph Cardinal Zen, has openly criticized the communist-friendly China-politic of the Vatican's Congregation of Missions on 'AsiaNews'.

The text is a copy of an article by a Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, where the Cardinal draws a question mark about the middleman between the Communists and the Congregation of Missions.

The Vatican in the Service of the Church's Enemies

Cardinal Zen said that he was a sinner at the beginning of his article: "But I would add to my many sins -- if I were like a dog who did not bark when the time was right for it."

The Prince of the Church insists that he will speak out against the aims of the Vatican and the Chinese Communists.

But for all that will awake the impression, that it is not so and their purpose has been discovered.

Then the Cardinal demystified the mythos of the Chinese communists' mutually recognized Bishops.

These proceedings will serve the aims of the Communist party.


A Dog on the Leash

Cardinal Zen says that the Bishops of the official state "Patriotic Union" are "slaves, or, even worse; as dogs on a leash".

The Bishops of the regime named by the Vatican are according to him "modern false prophets". They travel -- says Cardinal Zen -- happily on the imperial caravan of the independent church and call out from time to time, "Long live the Pope".

Then the Communist government supervises the state Bishops. These will only hear and obey.

They must depart from meetings, without knowing, where the journey begins.

They were invited to meetings, without knowing the subject.

They must hold speeches, without having seen the text beforehand.

The methods of persecution have improved.

Today the victims are invited to dinner, city tours and awards.

One is certain, however, to respect their freedom of conscience.

But Cardinal Zen knows, that the promises of Communists mean nothing.

For according to the left, "Lies are a legitimate means, to reach your goal".

In Defense of Persecuted Chinese Bishop

(CNS)Bishop allegedly joins Patriotic Association.

Link here...