Remember Faust, Pope Benedict

Those who make deals with devils rarely get their due:

The collapse of the Soviet Union has sharply diminished the number of governments seeking to act as the religious authority of last resort, but the People’s Republic of China still persists. In late December, Chinese police arrested nine priests in the underground (which is to say legitimate) Catholic Church after they had gathered to pray.

A few weeks before, Beijing ordained Father Wang Renlei as bishop in the China Catholic Patriotic Association, or “patriotic church.” Puppet church would do better. The Vatican, of course, has not sanctioned Father Wang’s ascension.

Nevertheless, Liu Bainian, vice president of the government’s church, argued that “this election is legal and valid.” After all, “a church cannot exist without a bishop.”

Roughly 40 of 97 dioceses in China don’t have bishops, yet the Church has not been derelict in its duties. The Chinese government has outlawed the genuine church and arrests its clerics and laymen alike.

That the Communist authorities selected Wang as bishop comes as no surprise. AsiaNews described him as a “person who is very timid toward the government.”

Beijing denounced the Holy See for being “unreasonable” in objecting to the appointment. However, the PRC’s definition of “reasonable” is a curious one. In an attempt to add legitimacy to the ordination, the communist authorities effectively abducted a couple of other bishops, holding them under guard to forcibly bring them to the ceremony. One was able to escape his captors.

Unfortunately, the latest contretemps reflects an ongoing battle between the Vatican and Beijing. In May the PRC ordained two bishops over the objections of the Catholic Church, leading Pope Benedict XVI to voice his “deep displeasure” and threaten to excommunicate the renegade clerics.

At that time, the PRC responded: “The Vatican’s criticism of the Chinese Catholic churches was unfounded and disregarded history and reality.” Even more bizarrely, Beijing argued that the Holy See’s objection “ran against the remarks of the Vatican hoping to improve its relationship with China.”

We should pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ, woefully oppressed by a demonic regime which will not tolerate freedom of worship any more than it will freedom of speech, assembly, press, conscience, or movement. Let's also pray that the Holy Father has the strength to stand up to this monstrous evil and excommunicate the false bishops. Chinese Catholics need to know that The Vatican stands for the truth and will not peddle sweetly-smelling lies no matter how sorely pressed by the thugocracy in Beijing.