
AsiaNews
CV NEWS FEED // After five long years, the Chinese Communist government has officially recognized the Bishop of Tianjin, but the heroic bishop chose to hold the “recognition” in a non-liturgical proceeding at a hotel, rather than the Diocese’s cathedral, on August 27.
According to AsiaNews, Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen, who has until recently was regarded as an “enemy of the Chinese government” insisted upon receiving the recognition in a ceremony at a hotel, in order to underscore the non-canonical nature of the “appointment” and to highlight that he was already the legitimate Bishop ever since the Holy Father appointed him as one of the successors of the Apostles.
Bishop Hongzhen has served as the Bishop of the Tianjin Diocese in Northern China since 2018, as CatholicVote previously reported, but has only just received government confirmation.
Chinese authorities had previously placed the now 95-year-old prelate under house arrest in 2019 and denied him civil recognition for refusing to join the government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association, which is a liaison between registered Catholics and the Chinese authorities.
This affirming gesture is one among a handful of positive diplomatic moves in the past year that have appeared to signal improving relations between the authoritarian government and the Holy See.
The Vatican’s diplomatic authorities said in a statement released on the day of the ceremony that they were “pleased” to learn of Bishop Hongzhen’s civil recognition.
“This measure is a positive outcome of the dialogue established over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese Government,” the Holy See’s statement added.
Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing was present at the ceremony in his capacity as both president of the Patriotic Association and vice president of the Council of Chinese Bishops. The Council is currently unsanctioned by the Holy See.
According to AsiaNews, at the non-religious ceremony, Bishop Hongzhen “solemnly swore to abide by the National Constitution, to safeguard the unity of the homeland and social harmony, to love the country and the Church, and to always adhere to the direction of the sinicization of Catholicism in China.”
Sinicization is the process in which something is intentionally made more Chinese in character or influence.
