China ignores Vatican, consecrates new bishop for state-controlled church
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Beijing, China, May 1, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The state-controlled Catholic church in China has ignored urging from the Vatican and gone ahead with the consecration of a new bishop without the Holy See’s approval.

The Vatican had called for a delay in the appointment over concerns that the bishop is inexperienced and too closely aligned with China's communist regime.

Fr. Ma Yingling was consecrated as bishop of Kunming at a ceremony Sunday in the southwestern Yunnan province. He was shown on Hong Kong cable television wearing a mitre and waving to crowds.

While the Chinese state-controlled church does not recognize the Vatican's power to appoint bishops, many recent appointments had been approved by both sides.

Vatican-appointed bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, had called for the delay on the Vatican’s behalf. He said the Vatican needed more time to assess Fr. Ma’s qualifications, and said that ordination without Vatican approval “would be deliberately wrecking China-Vatican negotiations," reported the BBC.

China has stated repeatedly that relations with the Vatican could improve if the Holy See cuts diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

China’s state-sanctioned Catholic church has four million members, while the unofficial church that is loyal to the Pope has 10 million members.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: .
. 05/02/2006 08:21 AM EST
Regarding Fr. Ma Yingling as "bishop." Articles written about these matters should educate the uninformed but faithful to Rome. The term "consecrate" in this regard and how it is viewed by licit canon law and how the Chinese government plans to use the bishop for its gain, should be explained. Remember, in the US and other parts of the world, we have a significant influx of converts. Plus at least two generations of cradle born Catholics to re-evangelize.
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Published by: George Angel
Canada 05/01/2006 04:44 PM EST
An atheistic Communist government choosing a bishop of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Obviously there is something totally wrong with this picture. The real amazing point to me is that the unofficial church that is loyal to the Pope in China has 10 million members. In a country that routinely persecutes and imprisons catholic clergy and faithful, I find these numbers in members of the unofficial catholic church truly amazing and remarkable. It should teach a lesson to Catholics in the west and throughout the whole world, what a gift the Holy Roman Catholic Church really is. We need to stand up for our church while we still can, or one day we will loose this precious gift from God to all mankind.
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Published by: Mike McCaffrey
Yarmouthport, MA 02675 05/01/2006 12:51 PM EST
I am not sure I understand this situation. If the new "bishop" is not appointed by Rome, he is not a bishop. He may be a religious leader or some kind of bishop, but he is not a Roman Catholic bishop. The Vatican, as far as I know, does not play ball with state controlled Catholic churches. If they do, I surely would like to see stories about that in the Catholic press.
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