Retired cardinal hits back at Vatican over China talks
BEIJING — The retired archbishop of Hong Kong has slammed the Holy See’s negotiations with Beijing as a “catastrophe” that would bring suffering to millions of Catholics. worshippers, as a bitter disThe proposed changing of pute inside the Roman Cath- the bishops was the clearest olic Church over its future in evidence yet of the Vatican’s China escalates in a dramatic effort to reach a deal with fashion. China, a country with an esti
Cardinal Joseph Zen warned mated 12 million Catholics. in a blog post this week that Of those, about half worship some Chinese Ca t holics in “underground” churches who follow so-called under- that recognize only Rome as ground churches are at risk their highest authority while of arrest even while the Cath- the rest belong to state-authoolic Church pushes for a hisrized churches with clergy toric breakthrough in relations named by Beijing. with China’s ruling CommuThe Vatican, particularly nist Party. under Pope Francis, has been
Zen, a leading critic of the keen to reach a deal with the Vatican’s outreach to China, Chinese government and unite revealed in a statement last the churches. A sticking point month that the Vatican had in secret negotiations over at asked a legitimate “under- least the past year has conground” bishop to stand down cerned whether Rome or Beiin favor of an excommunijing has final say over bishop cated one favored by Beijing — appointments. China’s Fora reshuffle that he suggested eign Ministry has said the govwas orchestrated by church ernment supports dialogue officials without the pope’s and advancing ties with the full knowledge. Vatican on the basis of “rel
Zen, 86, doubled down evant principles” — a likely Monday and denounced reference to Beijing holding church officials for betrayfinal say over appointments. ing Chinese worshippers in Zen said the Vatican had what amounted to a highly “given in” to the Communist unusual attack from a cler- Party by seeking to replace gyman against the Holy See. Shantou Bishop Peter Zhuang
“Mainland brothers and Jianjian with Bishop Joseph sisters fear not losing all they Huang Bingzhang, who is have, the prison cell or shed- backed by the state. Last ding their blood,” Zen wrote. month, he disclosed the “Their greatest suffering is behind-the-scenes discusbeing sold out by their ‘loved sions to replace bishops and ones.’ ” said he had been so upset
In an extraordinary escala- that he traveled to Rome to tion, Zen also criticized Secre- raise objections with Francis. tary of State Pietro Parolin, the Zen appeared to suggest official charged with negotia- that China would crack down tions with Beijing, as a “man more on unauthorized congreof little faith” who did not gations after reaching agreeunderstand the “true suffer- ments with the Vatican over ing” of persecuted Chinese authorized congregations.