COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE: EIGHTH ASSEMBLY OF CHINESE CATHOLIC REPRESENTATIVES (BEIJING,
7-9 DECEMBER 2010)
1. With profound sorrow, the Holy See laments the fact that
from 7 to 9 December 2010 there was held in Beijing the Eighth Assembly of Chinese
Catholic Representatives. This was imposed on numerous Bishops, priests, religious
and lay faithful. The manner in which it was convoked and its unfolding manifest
a repressive attitude with regard to the exercise of religious liberty, which it
was hoped had been consigned to the past in present-day China. The persistent desire
to control the most intimate area of citizens’ lives, namely their conscience,
and to interfere in the internal life of the Catholic Church does no credit to China.
On the contrary, it seems to be a sign of fear and weakness rather than of strength; of
intransigent intolerance rather than of openness to freedom and to effective respect
both of human dignity and of a correct distinction between the civil and religious
spheres. 2. On several occasions the Holy See had let it be known, first and foremost
to the Bishops, but also to all the faithful, and publicly, that they should not
take part in the event. Each one of those who were present knows to what extent
he or she is responsible before God and the Church. The Bishops in particular and
the priests will also have to face the expectations of their respective communities,
who look to their own Pastor and have a right to receive from him sure guidance
in the faith and in the moral life. 3. It is known, moreover, that many Bishops
and priests were forced to take part in the Assembly. The Holy See condemns this
grave violation of their human rights, particularly their freedom of religion and
of conscience. Moreover, the Holy See expresses its deepest esteem for those who,
in different ways, have borne witness to their faith with courage and it invites
the others to pray, to do penance and, through their works, to reaffirm their own will
to follow Christ with love, in full communion with the universal Church. 4. Addressing
those whose hearts are full of dismay and profound suffering, those who are wondering
how it is possible that their own Bishop or their own priests should have taken part
in the Assembly, the Holy See asks them to remain steadfast and patient in the faith;
it invites them to take account of the pressures experienced by many of their Pastors
and to pray for them; it exhorts them to continue courageously supporting them
in the face of the unjust impositions that they encounter in the exercise of their
ministry. 5. During the Assembly, among other things, the leaders of the so-called
Episcopal Conference and of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association were appointed.
Concerning these two entities, and concerning the Assembly itself, the words written
by Pope Benedict XVI in his 2007 Letter to the Church in China continue to apply
(cf. nos. 7 and 8). In particular, the present College of Catholic Bishops of China
cannot be recognized as an Episcopal Conference by the Apostolic See: the "clandestine"
Bishops, those not recognized by the Government but in communion with the Pope,
are not part of it; it includes Bishops who are still illegitimate, and it is governed
by statutes that contain elements incompatible with Catholic doctrine. It is deeply
deplorable that an illegitimate Bishop has been appointed as its President. Furthermore,
regarding the declared purpose to implement the principles of independence and
autonomy, self-management and democratic administration of the Church, it should be remembered
that this is incompatible with Catholic doctrine, which from the time of the ancient
Creeds professes the Church to be "one, holy, catholic and apostolic". It is therefore lamentable
also that a legitimate Bishop has been appointed President of the Chinese Catholic
Patriotic Association. 6. This is not the path that the Church must follow in the
context of a great and noble nation, which attracts the attention of world opinion
for its significant achievements in so many spheres, but still finds it hard to
implement the demands of genuine religious freedom, despite the fact that it professes
in its Constitution to respect that freedom. What is more, the Assembly has rendered
more difficult the path of reconciliation between Catholics of the “clandestine
communities” and those of the “official communities”, thereby inflicting a deep wound
not only upon the Church in China but also upon the universal Church. 7. The Holy
See profoundly regrets the fact that the celebration of the above-mentioned Assembly,
as also the recent episcopal ordination without the indispensable Papal mandate, have
unilaterally damaged the dialogue and the climate of trust that had been established
in its relations with the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The Holy
See, while reaffirming its own wish to dialogue honestly, feels bound to state
that unacceptable and hostile acts such as those just mentioned provoke among the
faithful, both in China and elsewhere, a grave loss of the trust that is necessary
for overcoming the difficulties and building a correct relationship with the Church,
for the sake of the common good. 8. In the light of what has happened, the Holy
Father’s invitation – addressed on 1 December 2010 to all the Catholics of the
world to pray for the Church in China which is going through a particularly difficult
time – remains pressing. 17 December 2010