Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
China Appoints Bishop Supported By Vatcan
The government of China appears to have taken a step toward improving relations with the Vatican. BBC News reports that China's state-controlled Catholic Church ordained Paul Xiao Zeijiang as assistant bishop in Guizhou province on Sunday. The first ordination since a June letter from Pope Benedict XVI calling for closer relations, this appointee reportedly had approval from both the Vatican and supporters of the Pope in China. In the past, unilateral appointments by China led to the excommunication of two bishop seen by the Vatican as illegally appointed.