UCA News
Contribute

Grasping Beijing's wordplay

Use of language reveals how far the Chinese government is willing to change in negotiations with the Vatican
Grasping Beijing's wordplay

A file image of Chinese Catholics, who belong to an "underground" church not recognized by the Chinese government, attending Mass in Donglu, Hebei Province. (Photo by AFP)

Published: January 24, 2017 02:54 AM GMT
Updated: January 24, 2017 02:54 AM GMT

The most positive signal that came from China's Ninth National Congress for Catholic Representatives was how many times the phrase "China's electing and ordaining bishops on its own" was used.

Used by the state since 1950 when referring to the state's election and ordaining of bishops, the phrase was only mentioned once in the work report (for 2010-2016) that was delivered during the congress held in Beijing, Dec. 27-29.

From published information, this phrase was not mentioned by Bishop Ma Yinglin — the current head of the bishops' conference who is not recognized by the Vatican — when he anticipated the church's outlook for the next five years in the conclusion of the work report.

The phrase also did not feature in the speech given at the congress by Wang Zuo'an, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA).

This is certainly a positive signal for the Vatican, which has demanded that China does not ordain illegitimate bishops without papal approval during secretly held negotiations over the past year.

The communists abstaining from using this phrase indicates they agree to having dialogue with the Vatican over the issue of bishop candidates. From it we can expect that new bishops ordained in the near future would receive dual recognition from both the Vatican and the Chinese state.

The last three ordinations done without papal approval took place in 2011 and 2012.

China's government has dropped the phrase probably because it knew it has become an open secret that the majority of bishops in the open church community have been, for many years already, appointed by the Vatican prior to the elections arranged by the government to pick the bishop candidates.

Only few such elections were exceptions. In some cases, local church sources said the officials agreed to hold the election only after the candidate has received the Vatican's approval. It is useless for the Chinese government to continue deceiving itself.

Ordaining bishops without Vatican approval are even harder due to strong opposition from local laypeople.

 

Three 'insists'

But Chinese Catholics who know the Communist Party well would tell you: "Don't be happy too early."

This was true when we see the word "insist" was stressed three times in an official press statement issued by the SARA at the close of the congress on Dec 29.

One of the "insists" was to keep the principle of an independent church with no links to the Vatican and the National Congress as the unchangeable foundation of the China Church.

When understanding speeches or textual documents from China, one has to decipher each word it carefully chose. It may be true, as some commentators have said, that when the Chinese authorities spoke about the independent principle of the church, it does not indicate explicitly the China Church has to sever relations with the Vatican.

But this also leaves room for manipulation by the Chinese government when China's relations with the Vatican are good or when they are bad.

The most significant phrase in SARA's statement is on the unchangeable foundation of the China Church — in its original Chinese "anshen liming." It is noteworthy that this idiom is frequently used in top state leader's speeches.

Anshen literally means "take shelter" and liming is "where life is based on." It means the congress system, which is not found in the normal church hierarchy, is a matter of life and death for the China Church and cannot be changed. Given that it is the congress, instead of the pope or the Vatican, leading the bishops' conference, it is a euphemistic way to reject the Vatican.

 

Bishop with two roles in national church bodies

The news that Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen would play a greater role in national church bodies was learnt before the congress was held. Bishop Shen — who was ordained in 2010 with dual approval from the Vatican and the government — has become the only bishop to assume the vice presidency in both the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) and bishops' conference. He is to be stationed in Beijing as an executive vice president.

Some non-Chinese commentators say Bishop Shen's greater role could allow him to replace bishops in national church bodies that are not recognized by the Vatican as a friendly gesture toward the Holy See.

But given that Bishop Shen's approval from the Vatican came only after China confirmed the date of his ordination, he certainly is not a candidate favored by the Vatican.

Bishop Shen's support from the government is apparent from the whispers from insiders who say that the authorities once considered him to replace Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin as head of Shanghai Diocese. Bishop Ma has been under house arrest since 2012 because he dramatically quit the CPA. Shanghai is considered a stronghold of the Catholic Church with 150,000 Catholics while Bishop Shen's Haimen Diocese has 50,000 faithful.

Last September, three cities under Nanjing Diocese were carved out and given to Bishop Shen's Haimen Diocese as a punishment for Bishop Lu Xinping of Nanjing in the same Jiangsu province because he once defied a government instruction.

An example of Bishop Shen's cooperation with the state was the 90th anniversary in in 2016 of the ordination of the first six Chinese bishops in China, including late Bishop Zhu Kaimin of Haimen. Bishop Shen held a symposium on sinicization in November to commemorate his predecessor while responding to the government's call for a sinicized church.

Perhaps, a veiled reason for Bishop Shen's dual role is for the government to remove part of Bishop Ma Yinglin's and Bishop Guo Jincai's administrative powers as president and secretary-general of the bishops' conference respectively.

Bishop Ma and Bishop Guo are among the four government-backed illegitimate bishops that the Vatican would consider to pardon. If these two key people in the bishops' conference were pardoned, the national church body would be one step closer to being under Vatican control. The removal of some of their power indicates that they are no more politically trustworthy in the eyes of the Communist Party.

This commentary was part of a series of articles written by Lucia Cheung on China's Ninth National Congress for Catholic Representatives. See Making sense of the Catholic congress in China for another of her commentaries.

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia