NEWS STORY: Ignoring Chinese challenge, pope ordains bishops for the universal church

c. 2000 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY Ignoring a challenge from China’s government-controlled “patriotic” church, Pope John Paul II consecrated 12 new bishops Thursday (Jan. 6) that he said represented “the universality” of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope elevated the prelates, one of them an American, at a solemn Epiphany mass in St. Peter’s […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY Ignoring a challenge from China’s government-controlled “patriotic” church, Pope John Paul II consecrated 12 new bishops Thursday (Jan. 6) that he said represented “the universality” of the Roman Catholic Church.

The pope elevated the prelates, one of them an American, at a solemn Epiphany mass in St. Peter’s Basilica only hours after the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics installed five hand-picked new bishops loyal to Beijing rather than the Vatican.


Beijing’s plans for the move came as a surprise to the Vatican when they were disclosed earlier this week. The church was reported to be holding secret negotiations aimed at re-establishing diplomatic ties with China.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the Holy See greeted China’s decision with “astonishment and disappointment,” and he warned it “places obstacles” to a rapprochement.

“The election of the new bishops is valid and legal,” an announcer declared during the ceremony in Beijing’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. China considers religious matters an internal affair and forces the estimated 4 million Chinese still loyal to the Vatican to practice their religion underground.

John Paul made no direct reference to the new Chinese bishops, but in his homily, he underlined the universality of the 1 billion-member Roman Catholic Church and the doctrine that holds that bishops chosen by the pope descend in an unbroken line of succession from Christ’s apostles.

“Dear brothers, who shortly will be consecrated,” the pope said, “you come from various nations and represent the universality of the church that adores the word made incarnate for our salvation.

“Our liturgical assembly expresses in a singular way this catholic character of the church, thanks also to you, dear bishops-elect. Around you, in fact, ideally are gathered the faithful of various parts of the world to whom you are sent as the successors of the apostles.”

Four of the prelates were elevated by the pope to the rank of archbishops and will serve as apostolic nuncios, or ambassadors, to Bolivia; Panama; Honduras; and Gambia, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Two new bishops will become apostolic administrators for Moldova and the Caucasus while another will continue as secretary to the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.


Bishops named to dioceses included Monsignor David Laurin Ricken, 47,

of Pueblo, Colo., who will become bishop coadjutor of Cheyenne, Wyo.

Others named were a bishop of Huaraz, Peru, bishop coadjutor of Lwena,

Angola and auxiliary bishops of Eger and Szekesfehervar in Hungary.

During the ceremony, each of the new archbishops and bishops received a ring as a sign of faith, a tall headdress called a miter signifying holiness and a staff called a crosier to represent their pastoral ministry.

John Paul has now consecrated a total of 290 archbishops and bishops since he was elected pontiff in October 1978.

In Beijing, Bishop Liu Yuanren, head of the Chinese Bishops’ Conference, presided over the consecrations of a bishop of Changzhi diocese in central Shanxi province and four auxiliary bishops for Baoding in northern Hebei province; Tangshan, also in Hebei province; Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province; and Mindong in southeastern Fujian province.

The Vatican had previously named its own apostolic administrator for Nanjing, as well as one for Suzhou.

By choosing the Feast of the Epiphany which commemorates the arrival of the Magi at the birthplace of Jesus to consecrate its bishops, the Chinese church presented a direct challenge to the authority of the Roman Catholic pontiff.

The pope, who personally administers each of the church’s seven sacraments during the course of each year, makes a practice of consecrating bishops on Epiphany.


John Paul said in his homily that holding the ceremony at Epiphany is “a custom to which I have wanted to remain faithful since the start of my pontificate” because it is “a tradition that possesses intrinsic theological and pastoral eloquence.”

The Vatican has not had diplomatic relations with China since 1951 when the Communist government expelled its apostolic nuncio, or ambassador. Pope Pius XII condemned the government’s establishment of the patriotic church in 1957.

Beijing continues to cite the Vatican’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan as the main impediment to renewed relations, although the Vatican has made clear that it would be willing to sacrifice Taiwan for better relations with the mainland.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, told reporters last year the Holy See was ready to move its apostolic nuncio from Taipei to Beijing in the space of “only one day.”

Vatican officials believe the real problem is China’s reluctance to grant religious liberty and its determination to retain full control over the patriotic church and its reported 4 million members.

DEA END RNS

AP-NY-01-06-00 1458EST

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