Cardinal Zen Says Chinese Catholics Are Winning
Oct 06, 2006
Sees State-Approved Church Moving Toward Communion With Rome
LONDON, OCT. 4, 2006 (Zenit.org).- China's Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun hailed the patience and determination of his long-suffering people as a victory over the strict controls on the Church by Beijing.
Addressing a sell-out audience of more than 400 at an event Monday organized by the United Kingdom office of Aid to the Church in Need, the cardinal revealed how the state-controlled official Church in China is almost completely reconciled with Rome, despite the catalogue of abuses meted out by Beijing to Catholics.
With about 85% of the official Church's bishops now approved by Rome, Catholics' endurance and peaceful resolve to achieve full communion with Rome has prevailed, said Cardinal Zen.
"The bishops [of the official Church] will not accept ordination without the approval of the Holy See," said the bishop of Hong Kong. "The government can do nothing about that."
And when Rome appointed a bishop, the official Church went through the administrative ritual of officially electing the bishop, so that the government could not disapprove, he explained.
Even the recent ordination of two bishops without the approval of Rome would not stop a desire for dialogue, said the 74-year-old cardinal, since the prelates in question had subsequently sought the forgiveness of Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Zen went on to stress how the Church is united by the oppression it suffers, and that in some ways the situation has worsened recently.
"In China, there is persecution -- not only of the so-called underground Church but also of the official Church," he said. "If we consider the whole world today, such persecution is unbelievable.
"Yes, we see that there are many Churches open for worship, that the seminaries are full. But what we cannot see is the control exerted by the government."
Bishop Jia
Highlighting the day-to-day persecution of the Church, Cardinal Zen told how Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding had recently been released after 10 months in custody.
"Bishop Jia is used to always being in and out of jail -- it is like a matter of administration," the cardinal said. "It shows he is standing up for his people."
Bishop Jia has spent a total of 20 years in prison.
The cardinal called for the authorities to relax their tight grip on the Church.
"If the government understood the role of the Church they would realize they have nothing to fear," he affirmed. "They need to know religion can contribute to education, economic development and progress in China."
Cardinal Zen Says Chinese Catholics Are Winning