Chinese Know a “Fellow Traveler” When They see One?
“Pope Francis has decided to accept the legitimacy of seven Catholic bishops appointed by the Chinese government, a concession that the Holy See hopes will lead Beijing to recognize his authority as head of the Catholic Church in China…”
According to a story in the Wall street Journal, China hasn’t yet accepted the deal. The 7 bishops Pope Francis chose to accept are seen as willing to toe the government’s line, or even support a “Chinese Catholic Church”! Apparently the Pope believes that as a result of this ‘goodwill gesture’ (spelled c-a-p-i-t-u-l-a-t-i-o-n?) Beijing will accept an agreement giving His Holiness veto power on future bishop candidates, selected by the Chinese government.
Pardon me, but this sounds like a “deal” as good as the Paris Climate Agreement. Wonder if The Donald would consider running for Pope?
Seriously? The Journal “… reports that “Vatican officials fear that failure to reach an agreement will lead Beijing to appoint many more bishops on its own, widening the divide with Rome and with Chinese Catholics outside the government-backed church…”
We’re not theologians nor are we foreign affairs experts, but we believe we have some insight into the behavior of totalitarian regimes, especially communist dictatorships. How about Francis?
DLH
