THE VATICAN'S CHINA SYNDROME

THE VATICAN'S CHINA SYNDROME

IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONEBLOGSPOT.COM - SUN. SEP. 16/18

EDITORIAL FROM  "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" SAT.-SUN. SEP. 15-16, 2018

    IMAGINE IF DONALD TRUMP INSISTED THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH GIVE HIM THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE LIST OF MEN FROM WHICH ROME WOULD SELECT AMERICAN BISHOPS. RIDICULOUS.

SO WHY DOES IT MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THE VATICAN TO CONCEDE THAT RIGHT TO COMMUNIST LEADERS IN CHINA?

    THAT'S THE KEY CATHOLIC CONCESSION IN A FAR-REACHING DEAL BETWEEN ROME AND VATICAN ANNOUNCED FRIDAY. THE VATICAN AGREED TO RECOGNIZE AS LEGITIMATE SEVEN CHINESE PRIESTS WHO HAVE BEEN EXCOMMUNICATED BY ROME FOR ACCEPTING THEIR BISHOP HATS WITHOUT VATICAN APPROVAL. TWO BISHOPS WHO HAD REMAINED FAITHFUL WILL RETIRE TO MAKE ROOM FOR BISHOPS MORE TO CHINESE PRESIDENT Xi JINPING'S LIKING. IN EXCHANGE BEJING WILL OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE THE POPE AS HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CHINA, SOMETHING IT HAS RESISTED FOR DECADES.

    GIVE CHINA CREDIT FOR SHREWDNESS. IT UNDERSTANDS THAT BISHOPS ARE AT THE HEART OF THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY AS HEIR TO THE EARLY APOSTLES. OVER ITS HISTORY THE CHURCH HAS SOMETIMES BEEN COERCED INTO DEALS GIVING GOVERNMENTS A VETO OVER THE APPOINTMENT OF A PARTICULAR BISHOP, BUT LETTING A HOSTILE REGIME COME UP WITH THE ENTIRE CANDIDATE POOL PUTS ROME IN THE JUNIOR ROLE. IF ROME VETOES ONE OF CHINA'S CHOICES, THE SEAT GOES EMPTY. WHY WOULD CHINA CARE?

    THIS DEAL HAS BEEN LONG IN THE MAKING AND COMES AS MR. Xi IS IN THE MIDST OF A CRACKDOWN ON CHRISTIANITY AND OTHER ORGANIZED RELIGIONS AND IS CLOSING OR TEARING DOWN CHURCHES AND MOSQUES. PERHAPS THE VATICAN CALCULATED THAT WITH OPPRESSION GETTING WORSE, EVEN A BAD AGREEMENT MIGHT CARVE OUT SOME BREATHING ROOM FOR ITS FAITH ON THE CHINESE MAINLAND. 

    THE DEAL AT LEAST DOESN'T INCLUDE THE RESTORATION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, AND DOES IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THE VATICAN TO BREAK ITS TIES TO TAIWAN. BU THIS MAY BE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. TO HAVE ANY CREDIBILITY WITH RANK-AND-FILE CATHOLICS, THE CHURCH WOULD HAVE TO SETTLE ITS RELIGIOUS DISPUTES WITH BEJING BEFORE IT GRANTED THE FAVOR OF DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION.

    MANY WESTERNERS OVER THE CENTURIES HAVE GONE TO BEJING AND COME HOME CLAIMING THEY HAD NEGOTIATED A GREAT DEAL - ONLY TO FIND LATER THEY'D BEEN HAD. ON THE EVIDENCE TO FAR, THE VATICAN IS JOINING THIS UNFORTUNATE LIST.

GEORGE H. KUBECK

P.S. MAYBE WITH THE SITUATIONAL ETHICS GAME, WE CAN UP WITH AN ANSWER.