The former Conservative party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith is urging lay Catholics in Britain to lobby their local bishops and MPs on behalf of beleaguered Catholics in China.
On January 15, Sir Iain, the leader of the Conservative Party from 2001-2003 told members of the Catholic Union: “The Chinese Communist Party hates all religions and anyone who tries to stop them having complete control.”
He encouraged Catholics to write to their bishops to express “the strength of feeling” regarding the Church in China among the laity.
The MP for Chingford and Wood Green said he failed to understand why the Vatican, although vocal on human rights abuses worldwide said little about such issues in China.
“I have raised the issue with Cardinal Vincent Nichols,” he said.
The former cabinet minister appealed to the Vatican to publish details of the ‘secret’ treaty it first signed in 2018 with Beijing concerning the appointment of Catholic bishops in the People’s Republic of China.
“If the Church has nothing to hide, it should publish the document,” said Sir Iain, who served from 2010-2016 as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
James Somerville-Meikle, deputy director of the Catholic Union told The Tablet: “Sir Iain spoke about the precedent this secret deal with Beijing sets with other states.”
The MP referred to Nicaragua which earlier this month released Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, who had been imprisoned for more than 500 days charged with treason. On January 14, Álvarez was placed on a plane to Rome, with 15 priests and two seminarians who had also been incarcerated by the Nicaraguan government.
“Sir Iain made the point that the Vatican’s secret deal with China set a precedent for making bespoke deals with places like Nicaragua and other countries that want to have similar control over their bishops,” said Somerville-Meikle.
Sir Iain told Catholic Union members that the Chinese Communist Party’s desire for control meant it was on “a collision course with people like the Catholic Church who have regards for the care of souls,” said Somerville-Meikle.
A co-founder of the interparliamentary Alliance on China, Sir Iain is understood to be at risk of extradition to the People’s Republic should he visit any nation with such an agreement with China.
On Monday this week, the Vatican announced the apostolic prefecture of Yiduxian would be suppressed and replaced by the new Diocese of Weifang which is to be led by Anthony Sun Wenjun.
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