China takes issue with Vatican on congress

(December 22, 2010) The Chinese government Wednesday has criticised the Vatican’s attack on China’s policy of religious freedom as “very imprudent and ungrounded.” It was Beijing’s first official response to the communiqué published by Vatican five days ago, in which it expresses profound sorrow over the Eighth National Congress of Catholic Representatives in Beijing. Xinhua News Agency quoted a spokesperson of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) as saying the Vatican misunderstood the current situation of the China Church and was trying to use religion to implement its political values. The official said this would bring serious harm to the healthy development of the China Church. The SARA spokesperson stressed that the national congress does not touch on Catholic doctrine, does not violate the fundamentals of Catholic faith and does not need recognition of other countries or foreign organizations. The new heads of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China were elected by overwhelming majority, reflecting wishes and expectations of the congress participants, the spokesperson continued. The Vatican’s condemnation of them was “a violent trample and contempt” to the democratic wish of numerous Catholics and “extremely rude and disrespectful behaviour.” The spokesperson ended with the remarks that the Chinese government hopes that the Vatican be cautious and self-restraint in order not to worsen relations between the two sides and return to dialogue on the right track. The Vatican had forwarded its objection over the appointment of Bishops by the Government and the forcing of Catholics to attend the Beijing Meeting.