Card. Zen on Anyang episcopal ordination
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - We received this opinion piece by Card. Zen, published on his blog with the original title of "It seems that they are sure they have silenced me forever". The cardinal analyzes some facts related to ordination and some interpretations that emerged following the event. In both Italian and international press, it was hailed as something new and promising indicating much progress in the Vatican-China relations. For background on the ordination click here, or, the AsiaNews editorial.
Having read the recent article by Gianni Valente on Vatican Insider (item 42718), I went on to do something odd, that is, I wrote this article in Italian on my blog for a Chinese speaking public.
There was an episcopal ordination on Aug. 4 in China, and I have not spoken about it. I saw the rather positive UCAN report [a Catholic agency on Asia based in Bangkok- ed]. To my amazement, AsiaNews, which is usually very severe with the Beijing government, seemed to welcome the event (perhaps Fr. Bernardo Cervellera’s heart was swayed by the fact that the diocese of An Yang was entrusted to the PIME and PIME know the chosen bishop as a worthy priest and shepherd of the diocese). Even my friend, Gerard O'Connell, a usually very balanced reporter, was enthusiastic, in fact, he saw the episode as a good omen for things to come.
Faced with such positive considerations, I thought it best to keep my concerns to myself, and not express them publically. But now that I happen to have read the article by Gianni Valente, my doubts have become very real concerns.
At the end of his article, Gianni Valente put the cherry on the cake by quoting from the usual Paul Kan, who says: "Even the underground community has little tolerance of those gentlemen from outside who pose as judges of our fidelity to the Church", a dig directed to the undersigned.
But why this completely unprovoked attack? Maybe they are certain of having silenced me forever? Obviously they were wrong. I'm weak. How can I ignore such provocations? I open my mouth again, but this time, instead of making statements, allow me to pose some questions, to which I sincerely invite a response.
Was this ordination really all above board?
1. Was the candidate approved by the Pope? How can we know this for sure? AsiaNews says that he was approved in 2009, but Vatican Radio said that he was appointed and approved on 28 April 2015. Moreover, the Chinese government says he was elected on April 29 (they will never admit that they elected a candidate already approved by the Pope).
2. Were all the consecrating bishops legitimate? The bishop of Xuzhou was ordained illegitimately. When was he legitimized? Did he make some public testament to such? Has the Vatican made any pronouncement on the matter?
3. The rite of ordination is decided by the government, including the appointment by the so-called Conference of Catholic Bishops, which seriously undermines the right of the Roman Pontiff. How can this be a cause of much rejoicing on our part?
What’s more Gianni Valente seems very confused:
- He says that the ceremony had been "agreed by both parties";
- He then says that it is the same as the one "used, in similar circumstances, since 2004";
- Finally, he says that in those years the two sides "tacitly recognized this formula as a temporary solution."
Was it (explicitly) "agreed between the two parties" or was it "tacitly accepted"? The former does not seem to have been the case. Nothing like it has ever occurred before. In the second case, since it is the government that decides the rite, it would be more accurate to say that the rite was tacitly accepted by the Holy See, in fact, even more exactly, reluctantly tolerated. So, where is our cause for celebration?
4. Then, when you connect the dots traced by all of this with reference to "contacts in these past three years," and the advent of Pope Francis, and present this order as the beginning of a new course, well, this just plainly frightens me. It would mean that ordinations will continue to be decided through the formula of "democratic elections" and with the reading of the decree of appointment of the Episcopal Conference? Is this not selling out the Pope’s right to appoint bishops to atheists?
Some will, of course, say: "We know that the only candidate to be voted on has already been approved by the Pope and the papal bull of appointment read in the sacristy." But is this not what was suggested to old Eleazar, and he refused to do at the cost of his life? (2 Maccabees 6: 21ss). Do people have no right to be shocked at this ambiguity?
The last thing I want to say is that the attempts to manipulate the authority of Pope Benedict citing half an affirmation of his 2007 letter to the Church in China, makes me suspect a lack of good faith. At the end of paragraph 4 of the letter, Pope Benedict said: "... the solution to existing problems cannot be pursued via an ongoing conflict with the legitimate civil authorities; (Gianni Valente stops here, but the Letter continues immediately) at the same time, though, compliance with those authorities is not acceptable when they interfere unduly in matters regarding the faith and discipline of the Church”.
It is truly sad to see a silent “giving in” to the bullying tactics being used against the doctrine and discipline of the Church.
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20/02/2018 12:55
