Pastoral duties of the Chinese
bishops received in communion by the Pope
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| Pope Francis greets two Chinese Bishops during October Synod. |
The Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano, publishes an
article by the Editorial Director of Vatican News, and an interview with the
Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, focusing on the
Catholic Church in China.
By Andrea Tornielli
An article published Saturday in the Osservatore
Romano communicates news about the Catholic Church in China and
information about the pastoral appointments assumed by the Chinese bishops,
received in communion with Rome by Pope Francis, on the eve of the signing of
the "Provisional Agreement on the appointment of Bishops".
"On 22 September 2018 in Beijing”, reads the article,
“the Holy See and the People's Republic of China signed a ‘Provisional
Agreement on the appointment of Bishops’. Previously, on 8 September 2018,
after much reflection and prayer, the Successor of Peter, in a spirit of great
benevolence, welcomed into full ecclesial communion seven Chinese bishops,
consecrated without pontifical mandate".
"In this context”, continues the article in the Osservatore
Romano , “Pope Francis invited all the bishops to renew their total
adherence to Christ and the Church. He reminded them that, as they are part of
the Chinese people, they are bound to show respect and loyalty towards the
civil authorities and, as bishops, are called to be faithful to the Gospel,
according to what Jesus Himself teaches: ‘Repay to Caesar what belongs to
Caesar and to God what belongs to God’ (Mt 22, 21)".
The article also states that the Pope "assigned to each
bishop a diocesan pastoral task, taking due account of the particular and
complex local situations. Therefore, Msgr. Joseph Guo Jincai was called to
carry out his episcopal ministry as first bishop of Chengde; Msgr. Joseph Huang
Bingzhang, as bishop of Shantou; Msgr. Joseph Liu Xinhong, as bishop of Anhui;
Msgr. Joseph Ma Yinglin, as Bishop of Kunming; Mgr. Joseph Yue Fusheng, as
Bishop of Heilongjiang; Mgr. Vincent Zhan Silu, as Bishop of Funing/Mindong;
and Mgr. Paul Lei Shiyin, as Bishop of Leshan. Vincent Guo Xijin assumed the
office of Auxiliary Bishop of Funing/Mindong, and Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian
assumed the title of Emeritus Bishop of Shantou.
With regard to their pastoral task, the nine bishops
"received the communication of the Holy See on 12 December 2018 in
Beijing, in the context of a sober ceremony marked by intense ecclesial
communion which concluded with the praying of the Our Father and the singing of
the Hail Mary according to a traditional Chinese melody".
Finally, the article defines as "a fact of great
ecclesial importance that Msgr. Anthony Tu Shihua, O.F.M., a few months before
his death on January 4, 2017, asked to be readmitted into full communion with
the Successor of Peter, who welcomed him with the title of Bishop Emeritus of
Puqi”.
To understand the ecclesial and pastoral significance of
these events, it is appropriate to refer to what Pope Francis stressed in his
"Message to the Catholics of China and to the Universal Church", of
26 September 2018: "Precisely for the sake of supporting and promoting the
preaching of the Gospel in China and reestablishing full and visible unity in
the Church, it was essential, before all else, to deal with the issue of the
appointment of bishops. Regrettably, as we know, the recent history of the
Catholic Church in China has been marked by deep and painful tensions, hurts
and divisions, centred especially on the figure of the bishop as the guardian
of the authenticity of the faith and as guarantor of ecclesial communion".
Now it is important to live in unity among Catholics and to open “a phase of
greater fraternal collaboration, in order to renew our commitment to the
mission of proclaiming the Gospel. For the Church exists for the sake of
bearing witness to Jesus Christ and to the forgiving and saving love of the
Father".
The Holy See, concludes the article published in the Osservatore
Romano, "continues to be committed to continuing the path of dialogue,
with a view to gradually resolving, with an attitude of mutual understanding
and far-sighted patience, the various problems that still exist, beginning with
the civil recognition of the ‘unofficial’ clergy, in order to make the life of
the Catholic Church in China increasingly normal".
In an interview, published by the Vatican newspaper in its
Saturday February 2nd edition, Cardinal Fernando Filoni,
Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, emphasizes the
pastoral value of the "Provisional Agreement on the appointmemt of
Bishops". Quoting Pope Francis’ Message to the Catholics of China, the
Cardinal recalls how "the Provisional Agreement is the fruit of the
lengthy and complex institutional dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese
authorities, initiated by Saint John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict
XVI. Through this process, the Holy See has desired – and continues to desire –
only to attain the Church’s specific and pastoral aims, namely, to support and
advance the preaching of the Gospel, and to reestablish and preserve the full
and visible unity of the Catholic community in China".
“While sharing some concerns expressed by many parties
because of the difficulties that still remain, and of those that may arise on
the journey", Cardinal Filoni says, "I feel that in the Catholic
Church in China there is a great expectation of reconciliation, unity, and
renewal, for a more decisive revival of the work of evangelization. We cannot
stay still in a world that, from many perspectives, is running at a supersonic
pace, yet, at the same time, experiences the urgent need to rediscover the
spiritual and human values that give firm hope to people’s lives and create a
more cohesive society. In a word, this is what Christianity can offer to
present-day China".
The Cardinal recalls that many bishops, priests, religious
and lay people want the Church in China to “return to a sense of ‘normality’
within the Catholic Church". He describes the "Provisional Agreement”
as being "of historical significance" and explains that: “In the light
of the Agreement that recognizes the specific role of the Pope, the so-called
‘principle of independence’ now needs to be reinterpreted in view of the
relationship between the legitimate pastoral autonomy of the Church in China
and the indispensable communion with the Successor of Peter”. Therefore, says
the Cardinal, “I hope not to hear or read about local situations in which the
Agreement is exploited to compel people to do what is not even required by
Chinese law, such as joining the Patriotic Association”.
With regard to the problems still existing between the
so-called "officialˮ" and the so-called "clandestineˮ
communities, Cardinal Filoni stresses: “There is above-all the need to rebuild
trust, perhaps the most difficult aspect, toward ecclesiastical and civil
authorities entrusted with religious matters, as well as between the so-called
official and unofficial ecclesial currents. It is not about establishing who
wins or who loses, who is right or wrong. In the sixty years since the creation
of the Patriotic Association, everyone, in perhaps an unequal and dramatic way,
has suffered, both in a physical and moral sense. Nor can we ignore the
interior anguish of those who had adhered to, or had been bound by the
principle of ‘independence’, and therefore brought about a rupturing of
relations with the Apostolic See”.
In the interview, Cardinal Filoni continues: “I realize that
someone could think that, in this phase, the Apostolic See seems to be asking
for a unilateral sacrifice, that is, only from the members of the underground
community, who should, one might say, be ‘made official’, while nothing is
requested of the ‘official’ members. The issue should not be put in these
terms; in fact, it is not about the ‘underground’ surrendering to the ‘official’
or to the civil authorities, regardless of the appearance, nor of a victory
over the non-official community. From a more ecclesial perspective, we cannot
speak about competition or who is right, but of brothers and sisters in the
faith, who all find themselves in a common House”.
In fact, "In the Holy See’s view, it has always been
held that in China there are not two Churches, a ‘patriotic Church’ and a
‘faithful Church’ (as used in common parlance). In China, the Church is one,
and the wounds that were inflicted upon her come both from within and without.
The sensus fidei of the People of God has saved the Church in
China from schism. In the current context, we can say that efforts have been
made to alleviate the sufferings. It is a challenging task and will require
everyone’s contribution to achieve it fully”.
The Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples says he understands the doubts and perplexities
expressed after the signing of the Provisional Agreement. However, he adds: “I
do not share the attitude of those who, while having their legitimate
reservations, not only do not strive to understand others’ views, but most
importantly run the risk of rowing out of sync within the ship of Peter. The
Pope, together with his coworkers, has done, is doing, and will do, all that is
possible to be close to the Church in China”.
Finally, Cardinal Filoni says: "As we know, the Chinese
like images. To complete my thought, I would like to give them yet another one:
In order to give stability to a tripod, three supports are needed. A tripod, in
fact, does not rest upon two legs, that is, on the arrangement between the Holy
See and the Chinese government. There needs to be a third support, namely the
participation and the contribution of the faithful in China, as well as that of
the Catholic community in the diaspora. Only with the contribution of all can
the Church of tomorrow be built up, while respecting freedoms, also on the part
of the civil Authorities, after sixty years of suffering, division, and
misunderstandings within the Catholic community. The Church, therefore, needs
the free and fruitful participation of all in order to construct civil, social,
and religious harmony, as well as for the proclamation of the Gospel”.
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