what I happening here? ….. “The increasingly public way in which the Communist Party is flexing control over episcopal appointments is costing the Vatican 'face' over the already unpopular Vatican-China deal.” “Several sources…told The Pillar the consecration of both bishops had been organized by the CPCA without consultation in Rome.” https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/the-unusual-new-normal-on-chinese
This has been going on for decades. This isn’t the Roman Catholic Church in China. It’s a schismatic body controlled by a ministry of the government. The Vatican doesn’t recognize the body as a whole but it does recognize the validity of the individual bishops appointed by it, with a view toward eventual reconciliation.
I feel like it’s been getting worse in the last few years, ever since the China-Vatican deal which delegitimized the heroic underground bishops who were in hiding, and lionized the “official” Catholic Church in China as the only one… it seems like their faithful have been sold out by Pope francis
We can be reasonably certain that the CCP would choose candidates who were pliable and compliant with the Party's wishes.
Well, as an Anglican, I don’t believe Rome need be consulted in the appointment of Bishops - but that the Holy See is pseudo-legitimising what are most probably political and not genuine religious appointments, is absolutely tragic and probably not healthy for the general narrative of activists who say the CCP should have no role in Church affairs.
As Anglicans we probably do in general agree that bishops do not need appointing by the Bishop of Rome or being confirmed by him. However, the way the Roman Church does it is their business. The bishops should not be appointed by a totalitarian dictatorship, which is what is happening. However, Pope Francis has sold the true Roman Catholic Church in China down the river.