HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic bishop on Friday stated he has invited the state-appointed archbishop of Beijing to go to his metropolis, a symbolic gesture that specialists stated might strengthen the delicate relationship between China and the Vatican.
Bishop Stephen Chow stated Joseph Li, who’s the chief of the mainland’s Communist Social gathering-sponsored model of the Catholic church, seemed to be “fairly constructive” in regards to the invitation. He gave no indication when Li would possibly go to.
Chow introduced the invitation on the final day of a five-day journey to Beijing, the primary by a bishop of Hong Kong in practically three a long time. Chow’s journey adopted a yr of strained relations through which Beijing unilaterally appointed two church leaders and Hong Kong arrested a cardinal.
Hong Kong’s diocese “is affiliated with the Vatican, so implicitly, it may be stated that this strengthens Vatican-Sino ties,” stated Lo Lung-kwong, an honorary senior analysis fellow on the Divinity College of Chung Chi Faculty on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong.
Final month, Chow stated his journey to Beijing on the invitation of Li underscored the mission of the Hong Kong diocese as a bridge church.
Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic ties in 1951 following the Communist Social gathering’s rise to energy and the expulsion of overseas clergymen. For the reason that break in ties, Catholics in China have been divided between those that belong to an official, state-sanctioned church and people in an underground church loyal to the pope. The Vatican acknowledges members of each as Catholics however claims the unique proper to decide on bishops.
In 2018, the 2 sides introduced that that they had reached a personal accord which regularized the standing of a number of Chinese language-appointed bishops and paved the way in which for future nominations.
The alternate of visits provides substance to the high-level ties created by the settlement, stated Professor Kung Lap-yan of the divinity faculty at Chinese language College.
“When (a relationship) is fragile, then it should want some constructing works within the decrease degree,” he stated.
The settlement on Catholic bishops has been renewed twice, most lately in October for 2 extra years. However in November, a feud broke out over the set up of an auxiliary bishop in Jiangxi province, which the Vatican doesn’t acknowledge as a diocese. Two weeks in the past Vatican Information, the information portal of the Holy See, tersely reported that China had unilaterally appointed a brand new bishop of Shanghai.
The settlement has been harshly criticized by Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who was detained in Might on suspicion of colluding with overseas forces beneath a Beijing-imposed nationwide safety regulation that jailed or silenced many activists. He was launched on bail and has but to be formally charged, however he and 5 others
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Originally posted 2023-04-21 12:20:08.