THROWN UNDER THE BUS BY BERGOGLIO (FRANCIS)

“Beijing has quietly indicated that it will soon abrogate its “breakthrough” 2018 agreement with the Vatican, which was meant to settle a decades-long dispute over the appointment of bishops in China.

In November, shortly after exchanging diplomatic notes verbales with Rome to renew the deal for another two years, China thoroughly negated it in a dry public posting by the state bureaucracy. Order No. 15, on new administrative rules for religious affairs, includes an article on establishing a process for the selection of Catholic bishops in China after May 1. The document makes no provision for any papal role in the process, not even a papal right to approve or veto episcopal appointments in China, which was supposed to be the single substantive concession to the Vatican in the agreement. It’s as if the deal never happened.” (New York Times, February 19, 2021)

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謝謝，弗朗西斯！(Thanks, Francis!)

This is a painful vignette of Francis’s penchant for involvement in politics in which he has no papal mandate and no competence — especially when it comes to non-Europeans — and most especially when it comes to Asians and Africans. If they possess the mere odor of “Traditional Catholics” — throw them under the bus! — sacrifice them to the gods of politics and geo-ecumenism. There is much to be had in so large and influential a country as China — what are a few million faithful Catholics who will have no part of the Communist “Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association” which is as Catholic as Communism is Capitalist?

In 2018 the deal brokered between Francis and Communist China’s President Xi Jinping allowed the Communist authorities to choose the “Catholic” bishops for China in an effort to “Sinicise” the former Roman Catholic Church in China. The agreement allowed the pope to have input in the nomination process, and the power to veto any candidate for bishop.

BUT ... that was three years ago — before the ever-treacherous bully Xi Jinping unilaterally decided (with no consultation) that the Holy See would have zero input and no vetoing power in the nomination of Chinese Communist Patriotic Catholic bishops. That this decision to break the accord on the spur of the moment by Xi Jinping merely underscored Francis’s notorious reputation as a political dilettante by the international community is, apparently, of no consequence to Francis (however much it will imperil 10-12 million Chinese Catholics). That it disgraces the Holy See is of no moment to him either. That Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong decried the betrayal of Chinese Catholics by the pope three years ago, calling it “a surrender”  and “a betraying of Jesus Christ” Himself, had no impact whatever on Jorge Bergoglio — after all he was just a retired Chinese Cardinal with a mere 60 years of experience in China... small fish compared to the Politburo and Central Committee of Communist China with whom Francis seems to have a budding relationship, although to what end (as a Catholic pontiff) we cannot begin to imagine.

The crowd chose Barabbas over Christ. That was a precedent. Francis chooses president Xi Ping over Cardinal Zen — and, it would appear, Communism over Catholicism. It is a ghastly concatenation of betrayal — that is ongoing in so many venues where Holy Mother Church should have no part, and certainly no abiding interest. Salus animarum — the Salvation of Souls — THIS is the competence of the Church, and the Church’s sole mission and mandate.

The lesson to be learned?

Beware of the “bishop of Rome” (as Jorge styles himself). His interests as plenipotentiary pontiff may collide with your interests as a simple Catholic — and while you’re at it, especially when political, environmental, and religious issues are at stake, keep an eye out for buses when he’s in the vicinity. If he threw 11 million faithful Chinese Catholics under the bus for whatever reason he deemed expedient, you are a mere fly in the ointment.

Geoffrey K. Mondello
Editor
Boston Catholic Journal

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