China Ordination Pushes Through Despite Vatican Opposition

20 November -- Father Joseph Guo Jincai was today made the first bishop of Chengde in northern Hebei province, without papal approval and under close surveillance of local government officials.

More than 100 faithful and dozens of government officials attended the ordination Mass at the church in the rural town of Pingquan.

The area was surrounded by about 100 uniform and plainclothes police. Cameras were banned in the church and mobile phone signals blocked in the area.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly, Church sources told ucanews.com.

Eight open bishops who are in communion with the pope, laid their hands on the new bishop’s head.

Bishop Peter Fang Jianping of Tangshan was the main celebrant with co-ordainers, Bishops Joseph Zhao Fengchang of Liaocheng and Joseph Li Shan of Beijing.

Bishops Paul Pei Junmin of Liaoning (Shenyang), Paul Meng Qinglu of Hohhot, Peter Feng Xinmao of Hengshui (Jingxian), Joseph Li Liangui of Cangzhou (Xianxian) and Coadjutor Bishop Francis An Shuxin of Baoding as well as about 20 priests concelebrated.

Many bishops have been taken away by the government officials in the past few days as pressure to take part in the service grew.

Retired Bishop John Liu Jinghe, whom the government still regards as the ordinary of Tangshan, was dismissed from his position on Nov. 17 for refusing to attend the ordination, sources said.

This is the first illicit ordination of a bishop in China in four years, which has sparked controversy over the pressure brought to bear on legitimate prelates to take part in the ceremony.

Bishop Guo also becomes the first illegitimate bishop since Pope Benedict XVI issued his letter to Chinese Catholics in 2007.

That letter reiterated the Vatican’s position that the pope has “supreme spiritual authority” on bishops’ appointments. Many observers see the letter as a watershed in the China Church’s journey back to normal Church life.

Ordained a priest in 1992, Bishop Guo has been vice secretary general of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and a Catholic representative of the National People’s Congress, or China’s parliament.

Church sources said the laypeople in Chengde, who are simple in their faith and esteem the pope, have no choice but to accept their new bishop given the political situation.

“After all, Guo’s reputation among the local faithful is not bad,” a Pingquan Catholic told ucanews.com.

But there are other laypeople who feel the incident has brought shame to the Church.