Vatican threatens new China bishop with excommunication

Vatican threatens new China bishop with excommunication

2010-11-25 00:42:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

VATICAN CITY (BNO NEWS) -- The Vatican on Wednesday threatened China with the excommunication of a bishop who was appointed without the Vatican's approval.

China's state-backed Catholic Church ordained Father Joseph Guo Jincai on November 20 in the northeastern city of Chengde, but Pope Benedict XVI described it as "a painful wound upon ecclesiastic communion and a grave violation of Catholic discipline," as he learned about the news "with deep regret."

"This ordination not only does not contribute to the good of the Catholics of Chengde, but humiliates them, because the Chinese civil authorities wish to impose on them a pastor who is not in full communion, either with the Holy Father or with the other bishops throughout the world," the Vatican said.

There are around 10 million Catholics in China, but followers are divided between two religious authorities, the Vatican and the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which does not recognize the Pope as the sole authority.

"It is known that, in recent days, various bishops were subjected to pressures and restrictions on their freedom of movement, with the aim of forcing them to participate and confer the episcopal ordination," the Vatican added.

"Such constraints, carried out by Chinese government and security authorities, constitute a grave violation of freedom of religion and conscience."

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