Catholic Church accuses China of intimidating Vatican loyalists
- Holy See’s request to stop pressuring those emerging from underground church is latest strain on historic deal with Beijing
- Priests and bishops have to register with the state, but some fear the declaration they have to sign jeopardises their loyalty to the Pope
The Vatican asked Beijing on Friday to stop intimidating Catholic clergy who want to remain unequivocally loyal to the Pope and refuse to sign ambiguous official registration forms.
The request, contained in Vatican guidelines to clergy in mainland China, was the latest hiccup in relations between the Holy See and Beijing since the two sides signed a historic and disputed pact on the naming of bishops last September.
Under Chinese law, priests and bishops must register with the state. They also must sign a form accepting the principle of independence, autonomy and self-administration of the Church in China.
Some have refused, fearing that it could jeopardise their fidelity to the Pope as their religious leader and the independence of the local Church on doctrinal matters.
Catholics in China are emerging from more than half a century of division which saw them split between a state-backed “official” Church and a “non-official” underground Church that remained loyal to Rome.
Some divisions have begun to dissipate slowly since the September agreement, which gives the Pope the final say in the appointment of bishops. But the registration process has caused difficulties for those emerging from the non-official Church.