The “sinicization” of Catholicism in China has been guaranteed to continue by Chinese bishops who support the government.
Two organisations elected leaders at a national conference in Wuhan who pledged to align the Church in China with the CCP’s political philosophy.
According to UCA News, 345 Catholic bishops, priests, and religious from the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association attended the 10th National Congress of Catholicism in China.
New leaders for the organisation and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) were chosen at the conclusion of the three-day event. The Chinese government supports both of these groups.
The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which is recognised by the government, and the underground Church, which is persecuted and whose bishop appointments are routinely ignored by Chinese authorities, make up the Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China.
The CCPA is not formally acknowledged by the Vatican. Every five years, the congress is sponsored by the state.
While Bishop Joseph Shen Bin of Haimen was chosen to lead the BCCCC, Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing was named the CCPA’s new chairman.
The new authorities agreed to carry out the plans President Xi Jinping had previously outlined for the church’s sinicization.
The Vatican and the Chinese government established an agreement in 2018 on the appointment of bishops in the nation; the details of the accord, which was extended for another two years in October 2020, have never been made public. On October 22, the Sino-Vatican accord is scheduled to expire.
After Pope Francis indicated the deal was “going well” and should be extended, human rights groups expressed their worries.
Officials from the Vatican have said time and time again that the agreement between China and the Holy See is only concerned with the appointment of bishops.
According to sources, the accord permits the Holy See to accept or reject bishop candidates chosen by the state-approved church in China (CCPA).
The president said at the National Conference on Religious Affairs from a year ago that Chinese religious practise will be brought in line with Marxist principles and ideas.