Bishops of Cangzhou (Xianxian), Hengshui (Jingxian) and Baoding have been put under house arrest and pressured to attend Father Joseph Guo Jincai’s ordination since Nov. 11.

Ucanews.com broke the news on Nov. 17 and since then, almost all media outside mainland China have fixed their focus on the bishops being forced to attend the illicit ordination.

Undeniably they were. But what is implied by the phrase “being forced?”

First, the expression shows sympathy towards the bishops. Second, it suggests they were innocent.

However, I think that has directed our thinking to the wrong path. It is as if the bishops have no responsibility and the Church should not punish them because they were forced.

When Bishop John Wang Renlei was ordained in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, some of the bishops were also forced to attend. Only Bishop of Cangzhou was lucky enough to escape.

The media focused on his narrow escape but neglected the seriousness of the actions of other bishops participating in the illicit ordination.

Later on, those participating bishops even received monetary rewards from the government. Their faithful also accepted these with delight. It seemed that what they had done was acceptable as long as they were forced into it.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), was there anyone who gave up his or her religious belief not because of being forced? How many people were persecuted, with some even sacrificing their precious lives, because they opposed the establishment of an independent Church? The “self-election and self-ordination” of bishops is a principle of the independent Church.

And now it seems that there is no responsibility when one is “being forced.”

We should sympathize with and pray for these bishops. But was there any compromise in their act? Could one say I am not a renegade because I betrayed my faith due to oppression? If the bishops can do that, then the laypeople can also easily give up their faith when being forced.

After all, we should reflect on which direction the faithful would be guided when media reports emphasize only the pressure brought to bear on them.

According to No. 1382 of the Code of Canon Law, “A bishop who consecrates someone a bishop without a pontifical mandate and the person who receives the consecration from him incur a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.”

We did not see any foreign media mention this. The canon itself has a lot of variables. Many aspects in it also need interpretation. Such interpretation would have far-reaching effect to guide the faithful to understand the Church’s position.

Chinese faithful are simple and honest. They only know they should listen to the pope and their bishop. What direction do these words like “forced, illicit and disturbed” lead the faithful to? Continuing to build the China Church with Chinese characteristics?

“Reverse Thinking” is the penname of a mainland priest who belongs to one of the eight dioceses represented by the bishops in the Chengde ordination on Nov. 20. He sent his commentary to ucanews.com, hoping to remind Catholics in and outside China that making a compromise under pressure is problematic.

Related reports
Tight security rings Chengde ordination
HK condemns forced attendance at ordination
Another bishop pressed into illicit ordination
Hebei bishops pressed to ordain new prelate

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