|
|
Church in the WorldBishop dies after two years in prisonChina Francis Wong - 15 September 2007A bishop from China's "underground" Church died on Sunday after two years in solitary confinement, writes Francis Wong. Bishop John Han Dingxiang, of Yong Nian Diocese in Hebei Province, had been repeatedly imprisoned for his opposition to the Government. Police cremated his body and buried the ashes only a few hours after his death, without a religious service and without telling his priests or faithful. "Why were the priests of his diocese not allowed to bless his remains, and, together with his faithful, to pray for this heroic shepherd and to view his body?" the statement from the American-based Cardinal Kung Foundation asked, urging the Vatican to investigate Bishop Han's death. The bishop's death will strain the complex relations between Rome and Beijing, whose "official" Patriotic Church was set up to be independent of the Vatican. A step forward appeared to have been made on Sunday with the Vatican-approved ordination of Paul Xiao Zejiang, 40, as bishop in Guiyang in the province of Guizhou. It was the first episcopal ordination since the Pope issued a letter to Chinese Catholics on 30 June saying church authority was "uniquely the competence of the bishops" in full and open communion with Rome. But Anthony Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Patriotic Church, accused Rome of wanting to approve as bishops only those who opposed the Chinese Government. |
 In this week’s issueMaking markets moral Iron and velvet Love in a Catholic climate Someone to talk to A good Lent takes planning South American surprise Is the Church too slow in recognising that academies are the future for Catholic schools? Christopher Lamb Goodwin the scapegoat Elena Curti The pain of being a coeliac Catholic Sr M, guest contributor Why the Benedictine family will survive Christopher Lamb The Church's moral obligation to victims of clerical sexual abuse Speeches from this week's conference in Rome This week in Rome bishops and religious superiors met at the first Vatican-backed symposium devoted to forging a global response to the crisis of clerical sexual abuse that has disgraced ... Archbishop voices 'shame and sorrow' after priest's abuse trial Longley to visit parishes 'damaged' by Walsh Today, Tuesday 7 February, Bede Walsh, who served as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, has been convicted by a jury, following a 10-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent ...
|
