November 18, 2010. The Vatican expressed deep regret that Chinese Priest Joseph Gou Jincai will be ordained as a bishop in the China Patriotic Catholic Association. The Catholic Association is recognized by the Chinese government. The bishop will be able to appoint priests and bishops. The ordination is scheduled for Saturday November 20. The Government is pressuring several bishops of northern China, loyal to the Catholic Church, to attend the ceremony.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi has described this arrangement as a “grave violation of religious freedom and conscience”. He also noted that actions like this are illicit and seriously damage diplomatic relations between the Republic of China and the Vatican.
Most of the Catholic Church in China is not recognized by the state and is forced to operate many of its activities in secrecy.
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