The state run Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China has endorsed the government’s ban on pastoral activities by unregistered clergy and on the use of unauthorized venues for worship.
This was reported by EWTN News.
In its statement, the conference stressed that religious groups must comply with relevant laws and regulations when conducting religious activities, describing adherence to these rules as a matter of national and public interest. The statement aligns with the control exercised by the Communist Party of China over the religious sphere.
Nina Shea, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, called on Pope Leo XIV to summon the conference of Catholic bishops in China over its support for the suppression of Chinese Catholicism.
“The fact that the heads of these organizations are the bishops of Beijing and Shanghai, the most important dioceses in China, is a disgrace,” she said in an interview with EWTN News. “Pope Leo must immediately call them to Rome to review their episcopal authority.”
Control by the Communist Party of China requires that religious activities be carried out in registered religious venues by certified and registered religious personnel.
Although the bishops noted that religious groups may request permission to conduct their activities in a temporary location with prior government approval, no unauthorized clergy may lead such activities for any reason, in accordance with Article 40 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs.
Shea, who also directs the Center for Religious Freedom, said, “Supporting the Communist Party’s ban on unregistered clergy and churches directly contradicts Vatican policy.”
“The Pope must disclose the contents of the provisional agreement between the Holy See and China and determine whether this new Chinese policy violates the terms of the agreement or even its spirit,” she said.
“This new position in support of banning and criminalizing those clergy who refuse to take an oath renouncing papal authority shows that these organizations are merely instruments of the party for communist control and the suppression of Chinese Catholicism,” Shea said.
The Catholic Church in China operates under complex conditions of state control and is divided between the official church controlled by Beijing and underground communities loyal to the Pope.
In 2018, the People’s Republic of China and the Vatican signed a provisional agreement, later extended, allowing the Pope to participate in the selection of bishops.
Chinese authorities have repeatedly violated the agreement.
