US bishops support congressional resolutions denouncing Chinese ordinations

Washington D.C., Jun 6, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Bishop Thomas Wenski has urged the Bush Administration to communicate to Chinese authorities the impact the unauthorized ordination of two bishops will have on relations between the two countries.

The April 30th ordination of Bishop Joseph Ma Yinglin of Kungmin and the May 3rd ordination of Bishop Joseph Liu Xinghong of Anhui, arranged by the government-sponsored Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA), were not approved by the Vatican and immediately denounced by Pope Benedict XVI.

The recent ordinations of Catholic bishops by the People’s Republic of China "reflect a disturbing reversal of China’s official approach to religious freedom," wrote Bishop Wenski in a letter to U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley.

"They thus become issues that properly concern our government in its efforts to promote human rights and religious freedom," he continued

"It would be helpful if the Administration could quietly interpret to the Chinese authorities the counter-productive effect that the CPA’s interference in the internal life of the Catholic Church is having on improved relations between our two countries," he urged.

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA ) and Rep. Phillip S. English (R-PA) have introduced legislative resolutions denouncing the recent unauthorized ordinations of Catholic bishops by the People’s Republic of China. Bishop Wenski wrote to the two legislators, expressing his support for the resolutions.

Bishop Wenski is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ International Policy Committee.