The government-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and Bishops’ Conference of Catholic Church in China expressed their regret for the Vatican statement last week, which excommunicated a priest who received episcopal ordination without papal mandate.

“We deeply regret the Vatican statement, which does not promote the unity of the Church in China but makes more disputes in the Church that will affect the spread of the Gospel and Church development,” Father Joseph Yang Yu, spokesperson for the association and the bishops conference, said in an email on July 8.

Currently, China and the Vatican have not normalized ties. For the sake of pressing evangelization and pastoral needs, it is “inevitable” for the Church in China to elect and ordain bishops, following the Church traditions, Father Yang said.

The universal Church should “understand and respect” the China Church’s courage to bear the responsibility endowed by God for its survival and development, he added.

Father Yu’s remarks, which were also posted on a popular Chinese Catholic website, have received criticism from many mainland Catholics.

“I don’t really understand on behalf of what institution Father Yu is speaking to and what Church he belongs to,” said a priest identified as Father Anthony.

The Church leaders that Father Yu represents are helping the government divide the open Church community from the universal Church, changing the Church doctrine and discipline, ordaining bishops without approval of the supreme Church authority and provoking tensions of the Church communities, Father Anthony said.

“It is really sad that with those unilateral acts, he is accusing his own Church for causing troubles to the evangelization work in China.”

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