Pope Francis Is Warned Against Betraying China’s Underground Church – IOTW Report

Pope Francis Is Warned Against Betraying China’s Underground Church

CP: Cardinal Joseph Zen, the retired Bishop of Hong Kong, has warned the Vatican against forging an agreement with the Chinese government that would grant it significant power over the Catholic Church in the country. Cardinal Zen has stated that he would consider any such deal a betrayal by the Holy See of the underground Catholic faithful in China.

It is estimated that millions of Catholics in China are forced to worship underground as they refuse to register with the state’s official Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA). These “underground” Catholics recognize the authority of the Holy See and opt to worship clandestinely due to the risk of harassment from authorities. Meanwhile, the communist-approved Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association operates under the supervision of the central government and the activities of its clerics are strictly monitored.  more

7 Comments on Pope Francis Is Warned Against Betraying China’s Underground Church

  1. This would be monumental; not just for the Catholics in China, but many of the Underground Christians in China are Protestant.

    I know several people who work with the Underground Christians in China. They have to be so careful. One friend was picked up by the government in a raid on a home church. He answered their questions honestly and doesn’t know why they let him go. He said he was more scared than any other time in his life.

    I pray for them. I also pray that we don’t have to face that here in our country.

  2. As a practicing Catholic, I continue to have grave concerns over the Pontiff. Too many things that he has done disturb me greatly. If he goes so far as to forge this agreement with the Chicoms, it will prove conclusively to me that he has no business as Pope. Far too much Marxist liberation theology has apparently warped him.

  3. When the word “underground” is used in reference to Chinese Christians. Don’t assume that means they are scurrying around in the dark waiting to be found out and shot.
    Fascinating book:
    A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China

    Interview on this subject.
    https://avemariaradio.net/audio-archive/kresta-afternoon-february-7-2016-hour-1/

    A reliable estimate is that by 2007 there were approximately 60 million Christians in China. If the current rate of growth were to hold until 2030, there would be more Christians in China—about 295 million—than in any other nation on earth. This has significant implications, not just for China but for the greater world order.

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