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Bishops elected in China in closely-controlled poll

Authorities are known to thoroughly vet candidates for loyalty to the state
Bishops elected in China in closely-controlled poll
Published: April 30, 2015 10:29 AM GMT
Updated: April 29, 2015 11:29 PM GMT

Two dioceses in Henan province have elected bishop candidates in the first such votes since China and the Vatican resumed negotiations last June.

In what are expected to be the first bishops ordained in China this year, voters backed the only candidates in ballots heavily controlled by authorities in Zhumadian and Anyang dioceses on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Father Cosmos Ji Chengyi of Zhumadian and Father Joseph Zhang Yinlin of Anyang were previously approved by the Vatican, but the Holy See still does not recognize the state-sanctioned Bishop’s Conference, which gives approvals for ordinations. 

“We could not elect voluntarily a candidate that we had in mind. But the China Church needs someone to bear the responsibility [as a bishop], so we have to participate to vote,” said a Church source at the ballot in Anyang who declined to be named for security reasons. “Even if one becomes a bishop in the future, he would face many difficult issues and may have to follow instructions of the Communist Party.”

Of 42 voters in Anyang, four abstained and the rest voted in support of Father Zhang, and in Zhumadian, 22 backed Father Chengyi with four abstentions out of 26, although three priests failed to attend.

Abstentions and no-shows are seen as a way to send a message of protest at the controlled nature of the election, said the Church source.

“Even if you wanted to write a cross to vote against the nominee, the people next to you could see that,” the source added. “Such an election is not held according to our conscience. It is just to complete a procedure.”

This week’s elections were supposed to have been held in March but were canceled without a declared reason.

Anyang candidate Father Zhang told ucanews.com at the time that “the government officials seemed occupied” and that they had stressed that the elections “needed good preparation”.

Other Church sources who declined to be named for security reasons said the elections were delayed because the higher government was yet to give the go-ahead.

Authorities thoroughly vet bishop candidates for loyalty to the state, the main point of contention between Beijing and the Vatican as both sides continue strained talks.

Critics of the Chinese government have said its refusal to relinquish control of ordinations has caused infighting and splits among Church leaders who remain divided on whether to follow the status quo or protest Beijing’s control.

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