Pope Francis Calls on Chinese Bishops to Show ‘Loyalty’ to Civil Authorities – IOTW Report

Pope Francis Calls on Chinese Bishops to Show ‘Loyalty’ to Civil Authorities

Breitbart: Pope Francis has called on Chinese bishops to show respect and loyalty to the ruling Chinese Communist Party as faithful “members of the Chinese people.”

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published an article Sunday in Italian, English, and Chinese, saying that the pope has invited “all the Bishops to renew their total adherence to Christ and to the Church.”

At the same time, “as members of the Chinese people, they are obliged to show respect and loyalty to the civil authorities.”

The article stated that this is how the bishops are to understand the words of Jesus: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mt 22:21).

The state-run Chinese newspaper, Global Times, called the statement the pontiff’s “latest goodwill gesture toward Beijing.”

Pope Francis “has called on seven Chinese bishops, whose pastoral duties were made public on Sunday, to show ‘respect and loyalty to civil authorities’ while adhering to their faith,” the article stated.

“The announcement shows that the Vatican is calling on all the clergy and the faithful, including those who regard themselves as from the ‘underground churches,’ to be in solidarity and to support the bishops’ pastoral duties,” said Wang Meixiu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, according to the Global Times.

The former bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, told Breitbart News in an interview last week that Catholics in China are suffering “huge confusion” because of the recent deal between the Vatican and the Communist Party of China (CPC), which yielded some authority to the government over the naming of Catholic bishops.

“The provisional agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government is a secret deal,” the cardinal said, “and no one knows exactly what it specified.”  more

16 Comments on Pope Francis Calls on Chinese Bishops to Show ‘Loyalty’ to Civil Authorities

  1. The Pope doesn’t know about how the Chinese are trying to cut out all religion and he’s using the ‘state’ catholics to do it? Why is treating the underground catholics like suckers?

    Even Putin has puppet Russian Orthos. Commies don’t like any religion except the religion of central government. If they need to showboat so they can flip some actual religious people to do it, they’re okay with it.

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  2. And even if that loyalty means
    denial of the Christian doctrine.
    BTW

    The DOPE is sucking off the moslem pigs
    during his ” Historic Visit ” right now.

    I can’t Imagine how overjoyed the pigs of islam are
    that this jerk sucks up to them and even on them.

    I anticipate his assassination by the roman church
    to save what little ” face ” they have left.

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  3. When Paul was pinning Romans 13 instructing the church to obey governments, he was doing so from jail. There’s a time for everything. Allegiance should be to the kingdom of God, not a church and not a corrupt government.
    Enough said.

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